Lady Luck
by PathlessSpore
Summary: She was Lady Luck, the best shot in the galaxy, but even Shepard has some questions of her own. Like why the hell her father left her at an orphanage, and why the Galaxy has such a sick sense of humor to drop him in her life now. But then again, there's no better way for a father and daughter to bond when the odds of survival are in the single digits. Rated M for heavy language.
1. Prologue

Lady Luck  
Mass Effect Fanfiction  
Zaeed Massani/FemShepard  
Chapter 1  
Broken

_Because I'm broken  
when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right  
when you're gone away_

_Broken-Seether ft Amy Lee_

* * *

Zaeed hated Earth, it was as crowded as shit. But when you didn't want to be found, it was one of the best places to disappear. A torrent of rain fell over the London streets that night as the mercenary walked along the sidewalk. He eyed the flats to his left, looking for the specific number Jessica had sent him in her messages. She had mentioned a surprise in one of them.

Finally he spotted the door he needed. Quickly he opened the door and started climbing the stairs. Zaeed huffed, scratching at the scar over his left eye. An angry rage began to build as he recalled Vido Santiago's ultimate betrayal. First he had tried to take his girl, and when he couldn't have that he went for the gang. He had paid six of Zaeed's own men to hold him as he pulled the trigger to the gun aimed at his head.

But he was still alive; there was no way he was going to die when he still had something to live for. Zaeed thanked the heavens that Jessica had decided to go into hiding before Santiago's coup. He didn't need her involved in that, especially when she hated it so much.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out above him. Zaeed stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widening in horror. Had Vido found her? With renewed vigor he cleared the last set of stair, pulling out his pistol to shot the Blue Suns mercenary standing guard at the door. He crumpled to the floor and Zaeed quickly stepped over him into the living room/kitchen. Three different people stood in front of the large picture window overlooking the London streets.

The first two were obviously Blue Suns mercenaries, the third a woman with long, curly blond hair and sky blue eyes. Her pale skin had a gleam of sweat covering it as she trained her pistol on one of the men in the room. Her white nightgown was splattered with blood, her own blood.

Then within a span of a few seconds several gunshots fired. Zaeed shot one of the mercenaries in the back as two bullets knocked the woman to the floor after she shot the other. When both were dealt with he crossed the room and knelt by the blond haired beauty.

"Hey," she whispered between sputtering coughs, trying not to choke on her own blood, "I was wondering when you were going to get here…" she reached a weak hand to touch his scar, noting the discoloration between his iris'. She gave him a look crossed between curious and concerned. Zaeed merely chuckled at her,

"I'm alright, Jessie," he said as he shifted her in his arms. She cringed and gave a painful moan, "Let's just get you taken care of."

"I have a surprise for you," she said, as if Zaeed hadn't spoken at all, "I think you'll like it. But you have to promise to take care of her."

_Wait, what?_

The mercenary furrowed his brow in confusion, "Jessie, what are you talking about?"

But the woman named Jessica simply smiled and hummed softly. The hand that had been caressing his face slowly fell away as her eyes closed,

"Jessica?" Zaeed's throat threatened to close and his eyes began to burn as Jessica gave him one final smile, and let her last breath float away with a single sentence,

"I love you, Zaeed."

He sat there, stunned. For one long moment he thought she would open her eyes, and smile at him like she used to. For one long moment he wanted to believe he was dreaming, but Jessica's body grew ever colder in his arms. With a final kiss on her forehead, he gently set her body on the floor. It didn't take him long to report the incident to the authorities, and as he waited for their arrival he looked down the one hallway the flat had.

One door was open, with the moonlight filtering through. Cautiously he walked to it and peeked around the corner. A crib sat at the far end of the room, underneath a window that looked out upon the city. A dresser covered in stuffed animals lay to his right, while a chest full of children's toys was on his left, its contents strewn about the floor.

Zaeed's heart thundered in his ears as he walked over to the crib and looked in.

He was surprised the girl had slept through the commotion; for lying below him, swaddled in blankets with two fingers stuck in her mouth, was the most beautiful baby girl he had seen. And the knowing that he helped make _that_ made his chest swell with pride. He brushed a finger across her forehead, brushing the curls out of her face. He chuckled softly as his baby whimpered; she had hair just like her momma. She snapped her green eyes open to stare up at him irritably, which earned her another laugh; and she had his attitude.

He scooped her up into his arms, taking special care to support her head, and held her gently against his chest. She stared at him still, her gaze turning from irritable to curious as she looked at him. Slowly he turned his back to the crib and slid to the floor.

"What's your name, little one?"

She yawned in response, a cute noise coming from her throat. She wiggled slightly in his arms, before she found a comfortable position to fall asleep again, two fingers finding their way back into her mouth. Zaeed bounced her in his arms gently.

Now what?

The mercenary held no illusion. He would not be a good parent to his little girl. She deserved a better life than what he could offer, because the only thing he knew how to do was kill. That was no life he wanted for the child in his arms. He knew that if her mother was still alive, he'd give the parenting thing a shot. But without Jessica…

Zaeed smiled sadly down at his daughter, "I wish I could stick around for you, kid." He whispered, his ears noted the sound of voices coming from up the stairs. Carefully he stood up and left her room just the authorities were entering the flat, "You're going to do great things, Brianna. I just wish I could be around to see it."

* * *

_**A/N: A repost of the prologue, with better writing, plot devices, and grammar. Please enjoy, and leave reviews.**_

_**Use CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM please.**_

_**Pathless Spore**_


	2. Shepherd of Fire

Lady Luck  
Mass Effect Fan fiction  
Zaeed/FemShepard  
Adventure/Family/Hurt/Comfort  
Chapter 1  
Shepherd of Fire

_Disciple of the cross and champion in suffering  
Immerse yourself into the kingdom of redemption  
Harden your mind through the chains of the divine  
Make way for the shepherd of fire_

_Shepherd of Fire – Avenged Sevenfold_

* * *

_Brianna was dreaming again. She was aboard the Normandy again, sitting at the table with Garrus, Kaiden, Wrex, and an engineer whose name she couldn't recall. All of them sat in silence, staring down at the cards in their hands. Tali was standing just over her right shoulder, trying not to give her hand away with her giddy bouncing. She had never played Skyllian Five Poker and was eager to see a game in action._

_Finally Brianna heaved a heavy hearted sigh and glanced up at the group, "Alright boys," she said wearily, "Betting is over, let's see those hands."_

_Kaiden suddenly got nervous and folded his hand. Garrus, her favorite Turian in the whole galaxy, proudly showed his cards: a flush of hearts. The Engineer chuckled and showed his hand: a pair of deuces. But the old Krogan simply chuckled wryly and showed his cards,_

"_I've got you this time, Shepard," He said, Bri cocked a brow and gave him a small smile. He had a low straight flush. An amazing hand, he had soundly beaten Garrus and the engineer. Shepard heaved another sigh and set down her cards, a huge smile breaking across her face,_

"_Ace high royal flush, baby!"_

_Wrex nearly flipped the table in frustration, sending the playing cards to the floor. Garrus chuckled as he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he glanced at her in awe,_

"_That's the sixth game in a row…"_

_Kaiden chuckled and nodded in agreement, "Now I see where you get you nickname."_

"_I should have known better than to play against Lady Luck," muttered the engineer as Shepard picked up the keys to a very expensive Sky Car he had bet. She couldn't wait to get back to earth so she could try it out. As everyone began to move away from the table, Brianna cried out in shock,_

"_Now don't tell me you boys are done?"_

_Garrus gave a sardonic laugh as he and Wrex walked to the lift, "Shepard, you cleared me of ever single credit I owned. I have nothing left."_

_Brianna laughed, unaware that the end of her life was about to begin. Suddenly, everyone was thrown to the floors as the Normandy made a sudden evasive maneuver. Joker was shouting over the com system, ordering everyone to hang on tight. But Bri knew better, quickly she ordered everyone to the escape pods. She told Tali to make sure everyone made it off the Normandy safely as she went for Joker._

_Shepard watched as her ship went up in ball of fire, sending her reeling out into space. She remembered the palpable fear as her suit began to malfunction. Precious Oxygen left her lungs, hissing through the leak Shepard couldn't quite reach. And as the planet's atmosphere began to pull her in and her world went dark and cold, she could only think of one thing._

I don't want to die!

* * *

Brianna Shepard flew upright in her bed, her heat racing, the remnants of a scream trapped in her throat. She closed her eyes against the memory of being spaced and sighed, running lithe fingers through her long and very sweaty blond hair. She hated the dreams; they were a constant torture since her resurrection a few days prior.

Several minutes passed as her heart slowed to a steady beat. Only then did she throw back the covers to get up and take a shower. The warm water was gift to her sore muscles, and as she stood under the torrent she let her mind wander.

Two years had passed since her death. Two years of her life gone in a blaze of fire and smoke. This recent brush with mortality gave her a lot to think about, especially about how she had lived her life.

Nobody ever said it was easy to grow up an Earthborn, a child living in the slums of major cities unwanted by society. Her mother had died when she was just a baby, and was subsequently given to an Orphanage by her father. She didn't know the man's face or name, as he did not give the authorities those details, but the thought of that faceless man made her scowl.

Because of him she had spent eighteen years of her life trying to survive, only finding food and clothes with a gang by the name of the Tenth Street Reds. She hated the Reds, especially their leader Finch, but her took her in and provided for her. But Brianna wanted to be better than that, so when she turned eighteen she left the Reds and joined the Alliance.

She worked hard, training day in and day out as an infiltrator. She was small woman, barely reaching five foot three, which made her light on her feet and difficult to find when she was careful. Her ingenious tactics in battle proved useful; she could survive on her own not only using her instincts but her street smart as well. That didn't mean she couldn't work in a team as well, she adapted easily to any situation which quickly propelled her up the Military Ladder. When she had been offered a position into the N7 program, she jumped at it.

While she had impressed her superiors with her skills, her name became truly known across the galaxy for an even that would echo through history.

The Skyllian Blitz.

She had been there on shore leave, a vacation for completing a job in the Attican traverse. Just when Shepard let down her guard all hell broke loose. She quickly assembled a small team of civilians to protect the colony of Elysium, but soon the only thing standing between Slavers and the people was one small blond woman armed only with a Sniper Rifle.

She barely remembered how time passed; she only knew that failure was not an option as she killed anyone stupid enough to walk into her scope. That day she not only proved she was the best shot in the Alliance, but the luckiest bitch alive. It was the first time she had thanked god her training and dedication, and it wasn't the last.

But the Collectors had ended it all in a heartbeat, just when Shepard was hitting her stride! Brianna scowled at the wall, turning off the water irritably. Those bugs had taken a lot of human lives; she'd make them pay for it.

And she make it hurt for taking her life in the process. Nobody crossed her and lived to tell about it.

When she was dressed in her military leathers, Brianna stomped up to the CIC to check their ETA to Omega. A pickup was supposed to be waiting for her, a veteran bounty hunter and mercenary by the name of Zaeed Massani. The other two were to be recruited, Archangel and Professor Mordin Solus. Bri made sure to download the information into her Omni-Tool before heading up to the cockpit.

She threw herself into the co-pilot's seat and turned herself sideways. She grinned at Joker, a man she had known for quite some time, who in turn returned the gesture,

"No sleep again." He commented, watching the HUD flash, occasionally he pushed a few buttons. Brianna shrugged,

"Yeah, Dr. Chakwas says the dreams will pass with time, but I'm starting to think that's a bunch of bullshit."

"What was it this time?"

"The poker game before the attack," Shepard scoffed wistfully, "I just remember being so happy, sitting there with all my friends, and then it's gone and I'm dead." Fear suddenly replaced the anger as the memories flashed back. The fear and the cold settled into her bones, and she clutched her arms, "Damn it!"

"Hey," Joker looked over at her, concern crossing his features, "calm down," suddenly he struggled to stand and reach over to her. His cool hand touched her forehead, his voice soothing as it cut through her fear, "You can't what happened, but what you can do is make those Collector bastards regret crossing you."

Bri smiled at him, green eyes sparkling through her long blond hair, "Damn straight, Joker."

When he was properly seated in his chair, the pilot gave her a silly lopsided grin, "So what are you gonna do when we hit Omega, I mean I know we've got pickups but we should really make sure you can still live up to that nickname of yours."

"Care to test that now? I'm sure I can find a deck of cards somewhere around here."

Joker gave her a snicker, "Ah, no, I'm not stupid enough to bet against you. I learn my lesson when you won my hat off of me. Thanks for giving it back by the way."

"You wouldn't be you without it. How long until we hit Omega?"

"About an hour or so. You should get geared up in the meantime."

Brianna threw herself out of the chair, "You expect a fire fight?"

"Better safe than sorry with you. Let's face it Shepard, you may be the luckiest bitch in the galaxy, but you're a magnet for trouble."

"Thanks for the sentiment, Joker."

* * *

"I'd rather someone accompanied you, Commander." Bri resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she stepped out of the airlock and onto Omega. She turned on her heel, the jacket of her uniform swishing,

"I don't you up my ass twenty-four-seven, Operative Lawson. If I need you, I will call Joker to send back up. Now get out of my face!"

With that, Shepard spun on her heel and stalked down the hall. She breezed past the Salarian, barely gave the Batarian a passing glance before stopping short of the next door. She watched as a mercenary beat on his prisoner, his thick, gravelly voice telling the beaten Batarian to shut up. Quickly she reached for her Omni-Tool and brought up the data on her veteran recruit.

She cocked a brow at the black and yellow armor, and the visible tattoos on his right arm and the side of his neck. She made sure her black boots made enough noise as she approached. The Batarian prisoner was the first to notice her, and his eyes pleaded to her weakly,

"Please," he begged, "You have to help me."

It earned him a swift kick to the jaw, "No one said you could talk, jackass."

"Zaeed Massani?"

The mercenary turned to face her, and Brianna's eyes noted the scar over his right eye, and the discoloration between the irises. He gave Shepard a once over before crossing his arms,

"Yeah, that's me. You must be Commander Shepard; I hear we have a galaxy to save."

"In a nutshell, I assume you've been briefed." She replied,

"I've done my homework, if that's what you're asking," he retorted shortly, "Cerberus told me everything I needed to know."

"And your relationship with Cerberus? Because I'll be honest with you, I've seen the shit they've done and I'm not a big fan. So it would make my life a lot easier knowing I don't have another Cerberus thug at my back."

Footsteps approached from behind, and Shepard didn't have to turn around to know that Miranda and Jacob were bringing up her tail end. But she twisted around to glare at the perfect cheerleader anyway,

"I thought I told you to stay on the ship."

"The Illusive man ordered me to keep you in sight, Shepard." She replied smoothly,

"Yeah, you got mad and went whining to your boss." Bri muttered as she turned back to Zaeed, the exchange earned her a bemused smirk from the old man,

"Then let me ease your conscious a bit, then. Cerberus paid me a lot of money to help you out."

"Not a lot of mercs would take a suicide mission for the pay." Replied the commander bluntly.

Zaeed was fast with a retort, "Most mercs weren't offered what I was. This mission doesn't sound like good business, but your Illusive Man knows how to move a lot of credits."

"fair enough, but who's your friend. I was expecting to pick up one man, not two."

Zaeed chuckled as he looked down at his prisoner, "Batarian delinquent, he pissed off someone rich enough to hire me to go after him. And for my "Bring em' in alive" rate, even."

Said Batarian simpered on the ground, "Please, I didn't do it…"

Massani answered him with a foot to the jaw again, "I said shut it. He tried to lead me on a chase through the systems, but he should have known better. They always run to Omega."

Bri snickered, "Well then, I suggest you report to the Normandy, we've got a lot of work ahead of us."

Zaeed nodded, "That's what they tell me," he pulled out his pistol and motioned for his prisoner to stand, "I assume the Illusive Man told you about our arrangement?"

Shepard's sarcastic laughter gave him the obvious answer.

"Good thing I asked. I picked up this mission a little while back, and I think you ight be interested. Ever hear of the name Vido Santiago?" Shepard shook her head, allowing the mercenary to continue, "He's the head of the Blue Suns, runs the whole damn operation. Seems he's managed to capture and Eldfell-Ashland refinery on Zorya, and he's using the worker for slave labor. The company wants it dealt with."

Bri nodded, "Alright, when I find the time we'll get it done."

"Well, I suggest you get it done soon, that way we can concentrate on being big goddamn heroes."

The Batarian prisoner saw his chance; he suddenly jumped to his feet and took a headlong sprint down the hall. Shepard had barely reached for pistol before Zaeed placed a bullet in his back.

"Nice shot," Bri noted as the prisoner fell to the floor dead,

"Yeah, I better turn this thing in before it starts to stink."

"You do that; meet me at Afterlife when you're done," Shepard turned to Miranda, "If I have to deal with one of you I'd rather it be him, "She snapped, jerking a thum towards Jacob, "Now get back to the ship!"

* * *

_**A/N: Updated Chapter, fixed sentences, grammar, and plot devices. Even switched around the dream sequence.**_

_**Leave a review please, and use CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM!**_

_**PathlessSpore**_


	3. Rock N' Roll Rebel

Lady Luck  
Mass Effect Fanfiction  
Zaeed Massani/FemShepard  
Family/Adventure/Hurt/Comfort  
Chapter 2  
Rock N' Roll Rebel

_Do what you will to try and make me conform  
I'll make you wish that'd you had never been born_

_Rock N' Roll Rebel-Ozzy Osbourne_

* * *

Brianna smirked as she stepped through the door to the main battery, "You know, for someone who took a rocket to his face, you sure don't act like it."

She heard Garrus laugh and the large Turian turned around to smirk at her; he cringed slightly at the gesture, but managed to put on a brave face for her, "I figured I might do something productive instead of pouting. Was there something you needed?"

Brianna cocked a brow, "I was just wondering if you had time to talk."

"Yeah, sure, I was just checking the weapons system. You can never be too careful." Both of them stepped out the Main Battery and into the Mess Hall. It was downtime for the crew, she had just recovered Mordin Solus from Omega and everyone was resting up before they arrived at the Citadel. A thief by the name of Kasumi Goto was awaiting pickup, and Shepard had arranged a meeting with Admiral Anderson and the Council.

They sat at the empty table together, "So a Mercenary, huh," Brianna leaned back in her chair as Garrus chuckled,

"Yeah, things went to hell after you died, Bri, the Council just swept the whole Reaper mess under the rug and called you crazy."

"I know, I heard," She replied dryly, "But how did you become a mercenary, Garrus?"

The Turian sighed, "After the Normandy went down I went back to C-Sec, but with all the rebuilding there was too much chaos for me to be of any actual help, but Omega was filled with criminals nobody else could touch, and there was no red tape to stop me."

"Sounds like a perfect fit," observed Brianna, "but I don't think that's the real reason why you left C-Sec. Come on Garrus, you can trust me, you know that."

Vakarian rolled his eyes, "I can never really put anything past you, can I?" With a deep sigh he leaned back in his chair, "After you died, hope seemed to dim in the Galaxy, criminals doing what they wanted, when they wanted it, it was chaos. But you, you gave order to that, you gave people hope. Albeit in your own special way, but that something I wanted to bring that back. The people on Omega needed something to believe in, someone to stand up to the local thugs."

"So you formed a squad to help you out. Tell me about them."

"There were twelve of us, me included. Former C-Sec Agents, military officers, the usual. We had a Salarian explosives expert, and I'm pretty sure he spent time in the STG. The Tech Expert was a Batarian, believe it or not, he wasn't the nicest guy but he could hack any system ever built."

Brianna was impressed, she crossed her arms and rested them on the table, "They sounded like a top notch group. How were they taken down?"

Garrus scowled at the table irritably, "It was my own damn fault; one of my own betrayed me. A Turian by the name of Sidonis, he managed to draw me away before the mercenary's attacked and then just disappeared." He slammed his fist down on the table suddenly, making Bri jump, "Everyone except me is dead because I didn't see it coming!"

"Garrus," Brianna's sharp voice cut through his anger, and he looked up at her, "Even the best soldier can't predict where the next shot will come from, and even the best soldier can't change what happens. You can't blame yourself—"

"I know that Brianna, but it doesn't excuse what Sidonis did." Her friend retorted hotly

"Are you sure the mercs didn't kill him?"

"I'm sure, I put out feelers with some old contacts. He booked transport off Omega just before the attack, and he even cleared out his bank accounts. He sold me out and ran."

"Did you ever manage to find him?"

"No, his trail vanishes after Omega, but I'll keep hunting. I lost whole team except for that bastard, I'll find him and correct that."

"Revenge doesn't suit you, Vakarian." Muttered Bri

"Says you, I seem to remember you were an icon for revenge. What was it you often told me, 'I don't get mad, I get even.'?"

"I've had a change in perspective," She said softly, locking eyes with the Turian, "Dying does that to you."

Garrus looked away ashamed, "I'm sorry, Bri, I keep forgetting you missed two years of your life. And you're right, I'm sure death did change something in you." An awkward silence fell between the two until Garrus managed to clear his throat, "Got any plans while we take down The Collectors? I seem to remember that you were looking for your father two years ago. Are you still going to look for him?"

"Why bother," said Brianna, "I've spent seven years of my life searching, I doubt he's going to show up now."

"That's a grim outlook."

"But it's true; I mean seriously it's not like he's going to come waltzing into my ship asking to help take down The Collectors—"

"Commander!"

Brianna whipped her head around to watch Doctor Chakwas step out from the Med-Bay, a look of concern in her eyes, "What's wrong?"

"Commander, I think you need to come and see this."

Shepard shared a glance with Garrus before standing, the Turian close on her heels. The Med-bay's machines hummed quietly as Mordin Solus, who had submitted blood for testing, tapped his chin thoughtfully whilst staring at a flashing screen,

"Glad you're here, Commander," he said as she came to his side, "Doctor Chakwas asked for assistance in a personal matter of yours, said she didn't want to alarm you until she was sure the tests weren't a fluke."

"What's this about?"

"Commander," Karin brought up data on the screen, "I was looking at Mr. Massani's blood sample he had submitted for testing," Brianna nodded, she made it a house rule to test for diseases when coming aboard the Normandy, she didn't need the crew getting sick, "And the DNA scanners came up with a match with a member of the crew."

"Whose?"

It was silent for a long time before Mordin cleared his throat nervously, "Commander, the DNA scanners matched him with you."

Time shattered as Karin reran the tests, and instantly the computer brought up Zaeed's genetic imprint on screen. Her stomach jumped to her throat as her own DNA ran alongside his, the computer finding matches in the coding.

"I don't believe this…."

Garrus snickered next to her, trying to hide his smile with his hand, "Hey, Shepard, what was that about your father waltzing in on the Normandy asking to help take down the Collectors?"

Brianna punched him.

* * *

"Oh, I so don't need this."

Brianna stared at the elevator console, debating the pros and cons of going gown to the Engineering Deck and just outright sucker punching Zaeed, her father, whatever that man was now! She had ordered everyone in the Med-Bay to keep the ordeal quiet until she could get a handle on her feelings. Even now, a few hours later, a storm raged inside her.

The galaxy had the worst sense of humor ever…

Unbidden, memories of her time spent on the streets of London came back. She remembered the fear, the hunger, and the loneliness. She was sent to one Foster Family after another, each one claiming afterwards that she just wasn't the right fit for their family. She eventually ran away from the Orphanage, unwilling to let herself be disappointed again.

That's when Finch had found her, and saw something useful. He took her in, provided a home, food, clothes, and some semblance of a family; and she hated it. She hated being used, unable to make her own decisions. She hated it when Finch picked on her, or someone just as weak.

And now, the man who damned her to that life was no more than three floors below her, sitting in that damn Starboard Cargo Area probably downing a bottle of whiskey!

Shepard wanted answers, why did he leave her on Earth? Did he even bother to try and find her after all these years? So many questions buzzed through Shepard's head it actually made it hurt. She growled and stomped back into her cabin.

An hour later, as Brianna was contemplating her glass of scotch, Joker's voice came in over the communicator,

"Hey Brianna, we just arrived at the Citadel, so if you're done asking yourself why your life sucks you can arrange transport to the Embassies to talk to Anderson."

"And how do you know I'm pouting?" Shepard replied sarcastically,

"Garrus told me about what happened in the Med-Bay…"

"Jesus Christ, does everyone know?!" She cried, resisting the urge to throw her glass.

"Well except for your old man, yeah pretty much."

"I'm gonna kill Garrus…" With a sigh she heaved herself from her chair, "Joker tell the crew everyone can have shore leave. I've political BS to deal with."

"Can do, Shepard."

* * *

**_A Few Hours Later_**

_"Ah, yes. The "Reapers." We have dismissed that claim."_

Brianna's vision was swimming in red as she tore through the Zakera ward. Who did that damn councilor think he was, god? It was bad enough that the council called her crazy when she was dead, but to do it out right to her face? It made her almost regret saving their hides two years ago. She barely remembered passing the weaponry store, and she would have kept walking too if it hadn't been for Garrus' voice cutting through her rage,

"Shepard!" She skid to a halt, looked back and watched as both the Turian and her father strode out of the store. The sharpshooter was wise enough to put space between him and the raging spectre, with Zaeed just behind him. The old mercenary huffed and crossed his arms,

"Who the hell pushed your buttons?"

She glared at him,

_You for one_…, she thought bitterly, but she scowled instead and started to pace, "I swear if I ever get my hands on that Turian Councilor, I'm going to shove those damn "Air Quotes" of his so far down his throat, he'll shit them out!"

Her outburst caused people to stare, but Brianna was beyond the point of caring. Garrus' mandibles flared nervously as he took a step back, "I take it the meeting with the council didn't go well…"

"What do you think genius?" she snapped irritably, her rage almost to a boiling point, "It was bad enough when I was alive, but I'm gone for two whole years and suddenly—"

"Commander Shepard!"

Brianna froze mid-sentence and gave an almost evil laugh. Garrus suddenly grabbed Zaeed and pulled his several steps away, "Oh, this is going to be good."

Brianna spun on her heel to eye a familiar news reporter coming up to her. She felt her fist clench as the woman held out her hand, and actually had the nerve to smile, "Khalisah Al Jilani, Westerlund News," she said. Brianna crossed her arms, but said nothing as her eyes bore into Jilani's skull, the news reporter's smile faltered, "I gave you an interview two years ago when you first became a Spectre." When she still received no answer Jilani's smile faded and her tone became dry, "You punched me."

"If I did punch you, it's probably because you deserved it, otherwise I don't remember, nor do I care."

"But the people care about you!" she exclaimed procuring a data pad, "You're back and that means you're news!"

Suddenly the camera lights were on, blinding Shepard as Khalisah began to talk, "Commander Shepard, you were on the ground when the Citadel was attacked two years ago. It's safe to say the battle raged on your word, if true, sources tell me that you ordered Admiral Hackett to save the Destiny Ascension sacrificing thousands of human lives—"

"You need to shut up!" Snapped Bri as her control shattered, with a step forward she pulled her fist back and let it fly into the eye of the reporter. It was felt satisfying to watch as she fell to the ground with a cry, "Keep bothering me and I'll give you something worse than a black eye!" Threatened Shepard as she turned on her heel and stormed away,

"You can't keep treating me like this and get away with it, Shepard!" Cried Jilani from the ground,

"Bite me!" Bri called back over her shoulder. Garrus and Zaeed followed after her, with the mercenary laughing,

"She's going to have that shiner for a while."

"I told you it was going to get good," replied a bemused Garrus. Brianna rolled her eyes and activated her ear piece,

"Joker, tell the crew to get back to the Normandy, we shove off in thirty minutes."

"Sure thing commander, we are we headed."

"Korlus, I have a Krogan to recruit."

* * *

**_A/N: Updated chapter, fixed grammar, and sentences, and made it look pretty. Please Review and use CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM!_**

**_PathlessSpore_**


	4. Evil Angel

Lady Luck  
Mass Effect Fanfiction  
Zaeed/OC  
Family/Adventure/Hurt/Comfort  
Chapter 3  
Evil Angel

_Hold it together, Birds of a feather_  
_Nothing but lies and crooked wings_  
_I have the answer, spreading the cancer_  
_You are the Faith inside me_

_Evil Angel - Breaking Benjamin_

* * *

Zaeed studied the newest member of their crew in admiration, even in its state of suspended animation the Krogan was an impressive work of Genetic Engineering. He actually looked forward to seeing it in action, if Shepard ever decided to wake it up.

The old mercenary huffed, now there was one hell of a girl. He had heard of the esteemed commanders stories over the Extranet; twenty-seven years old and she had done more than most soldiers twice her age. She was a cocky, well-trained fighter, and had one hell of a right hook.

But there was something about that girl that struck Zaeed as odd. When he met her for the first time he felt his brain stir, like a long forgotten memory surfacing after several years. Something in his gut told him he should have recognized her, and it wasn't for her name either.

Suddenly, the door to the cargo area hissed open, breaking Zaeed out of his reverie. He glanced over his shoulder to watch the commander walk in. She looked tired, and irritable; a combination, he was starting to realize, that usually spelled trouble for anyone who got in her way. She yawned wearily, but stopped short when she realized he was in the room. A glare crossed her features, darkening her green eyes. It wasn't the first time Zaeed noticed either. The change started a few days ago.

When he had first met her, she walked with air of authority and she wielded it like a dagger. Shepard didn't buckle under his harsh gaze, nor flinch from his appearance like most people did. She gave him space and respect, but something about him had started to irritate her and he wanted to know what.

"Quite a trophy you got yourself there."

"Yeah, he'd better be for what I went through to get him."

"You gonna open him up?"

Shepard sighed and walked up next to him, "Eventually, yeah." She gave him a sneaking glance, her jaw tightening as if she wanted to say something. The awkward tension in the room did nothing to help,

"Hey, I found something you might be interested in," Zaeed said in an effort to dispel the pressure, "Care to take a look?"

"Not now, I've got shit to do,"

"Christ, it's only gonna take up five minutes of your time, Shepard."

Zaeed spun on his heel and walked out, he heard the commander sigh in defeat. She followed him to the Starboard Cargo Area and instantly he went digging around his desk for the data pad he had picked up earlier in the week.

"I found some spare –" he looked up and saw Shepard standing over his work bench, hands reaching out to touch an ancient gun sitting there. "Hey, don't touch!" he called irritably, instantly she drew her hand away and gave him a curious look, "That rifle is older than you are."

Zaeed smiled a bit, he remembered the first time he had found that shitty old thing. It had been a job with Jessica back when she was still a mercenary. He remembered the smile she had given him when he told her he had named the rifle after her; she simply told him to stop being cute.

"I call her Jessie," explained Zaeed as he walked over to hand Sheppard the Data Pad; he didn't know why he told her that, but it felt right to, "She's my lucky charm. More men have died with that gun, then in the Skyllian Blitz."

Shepard scoffed and rolled her eyes at that, "I highly doubt it."

Zaeed laughed as he leaned up against the work table, "It's hard to forget you were in the Blitz, what the hell were you doing on Elysium anyway?"

"It was supposed to be a vacation, a reward for a job well done on an N7 mission I had just completed."

"Care to tell about it?"

He didn't expect her to say yes. She told them how an Alliance Comm Hub had gone dark in the Attican Traverse and she was sent to fix the problem. The Alliance had only sent her in because they believed it had been a technical problem.

"Then why not send one of their engineers?"

"They did," she retorted, "I was sent in as a last resort, a solo mission to secure the Hub and get communications back. I'm trained for stealth tactics and computer hacking, in fact I'm one of the best. If something had gone wrong they wanted to send in a professional." She sighed and crossed her arms, "But Alliance Brass dropped the ball; the hub I was sent to had been overrun by raiding pirates and slavers."

Zaeed cursed under his breath. That was a tough situation, especially since she was by herself,

"How the hell did you survive?"

She gave him a cocky smile, "A little bit of skill, and a whole hell of a lot of luck. I grew up in the slums of London so I know how to make use of hiding spots. Anyway, my first objective was to get communications back online so I could call for reinforcements, I may be good but even I needed at least two or three more people with me to take out that small army. Anyway, I spent a good hour watching their patrols before sneaking into the facility. Most Alliance Hubs have the same design layout so I ended up taking the ducts to the control room. Of course a few guards had been posted but they were quickly taken care of. Things went to hell after that."

"I imagine those bastards weren't too happy you managed to get coms back up." Zaeed said, scratching his chin. Shepard smiled ruefully and shook her head

"No, they weren't. I was forced to hold my position for well over an hour; compared to what I had to do in the Blitz that was nothing. Anyway, the Alliance awarded me with some Shore Leave to Elysium before my next assignment."

Zaeed laughed, earning him a smile from the young commander,

"Anyway, after my heroics in the Blitz they offered me a position in the N7 program, and of course I jumped at it."

"For someone so young? You've got to be at least twenty-four—"

"I'm twenty-seven, thank you very much." She said hotly, turning her nose up at him. The old mercenary chuckled,

"Your height must have thrown me off, then." She took offense at that, making him laugh. Then, not to be outdone by the tiny woman, he began to tell her stories of his past impossible missions. She sat on one of the crates, legs crossed and her chin resting in her hand, listening intently as he recounted thousands of tales and imparted words of wisdom to her. Her eyes soon wandered to the helmet he had sitting near her.

"Beauty isn't it?" He nodded when Shepard asked if she could pick it up. She studied it closely, "I pried that off the head of the Warlord Gizark, he used to run the Bloodpack out of Omega about seventeen years ago. Wasn't even a job, the guy just thought he'd hijack a frieghter I was hitch-hiking on. Big Mistake."

"So what did you do?" she asked as she set the helmet back where it belonged, the old mercenary chuckled,

"I goaded Gizark into a one on one fight. I took out his legs, grabbed his gun, and took out every Bloodpack bastard in the room. That was the most beaten Krogan I've ever seen. I kept the Helmet to remind me of that pained expression."

Shepard smirked, "So, any family?" The good mood suddenly dissipated, replaced by tension and suspicion,

"What kind of fucking question is that?" Zaeed snapped defensively, he crossed his arms and glared at the Commander. She returned it with a shrug of her shoulders,

"I was just curious." she snapped back,

"That's on a need to know basis, Shepard," Zaeed growled, "As in mind your own goddamn buisness."

"Fine," she said as she threw her hands up in defeat, "I was done talking to you anyway." She jumped off the crate and turned to leave, throwing the Data Pad on the desk as she passed it. The door to the Cargo Hold hissed shut as she left.

Well shit. Now she made him feel bad, which was an achievement in itself.

Zaeed didn't like talking about his family, or what little of it there was left. Jessica had died because of his carelessness, and Vido was going to pay for it. But Brianna had been on his mind more often lately. Zorya was going to be his last Mission as a mercenary, or at least until he was recruited by Cerberus, but if he managed to survive this suicide mission he was considering retirement.

He thought about trying to find his daughter. He often wondered if she had been given a better life than what he could have offered. But he often questioned himself what he would do when he did find her. Could he face her after all of these years? Would she hate him? Who did she look more lie, him or her mother?

And how could he ever justify his decision to her? An hour so had passed before a voice came over the speakers,

"Mr. Massani," the AI said, "Commander Shepard requests your presence down in the Shuttle Bay, she says you'll be landing on Zorya soon."

"About damn time."

_**A/N: The moment of truth comes closer. I know some of you are wondering why Shepard hasn't ouright confronted Zaeed yet, and the simple asnwer is because she doesn't know how. Its easy to talk about hate, but not so easy to act on it. She has so many conflicting feelings, coupled with the fact that she has to take down the Collectors and deal with Reapers its hard for her to get a handle on them. She tried broaching the subject just now, only to have Zaeed push her away.**_

_**So it's not easy for the both of them, and that's the whole point of this story. It's about them trying to connect, before everything goes to hell.**_

_**So I hope you review and I'll try and have the next chapter soon.**_

_**PathlessSpore**_


	5. One Day Too Late

Lady Luck  
Mass Effect fanfiction  
Zaeed Massani/OC  
Family/Adventure/Hurt/Comfort  
Chapter 4  
One Day Too Late

_Tick tock hear my life pass by  
__I can't erase and I can't rewind  
__Of all the things I regret the most I do...  
__I Wish I'd spent more time with you_

_Here's my chance for a new beginning  
__I saved the best for a better ending  
__And in the end I'll make it up to you, you'll see  
__You'll get the very best of me_

_One Day Too Late - Skillet_

* * *

Brianna played with a deck of cards in her hand, muttering under her breath. Garrus sat next to her, and she could feel his eyes boring into the side of her skull. She got the feeling that this mission on Zorya was going to go south. She hadn't meant to go to Zorya in the first place, but something about the way her father had snapped at her made her stomp right up to the CIC and punch in the new coordinates.

Just before she boarded the shuttle Garrus pulled her off to the side,

* * *

"_You should seriously talk to him, before you do something you're gonna regret."_

"_You're one to talk," she said crossly, "And why are you giving me advice about how to deal with my father when you're having problems with your own?"_

"_Because I made up with him." he said simply, "Back on Omega, I didn't think I was going to get out alive. And in that moment I realized what my father was trying to teach me after all these years, so I called him and I apologized. Talk to him Shepard, it's not going to get any better until you do."_

* * *

Brianna sighed and flipped the cards expertly between her fingers. She considered saying something now, but berated herself for her own stupidity. What would she say: "Hi, I'm Brianna Shepard; I'm the daughter you gave up twenty seven years ago?"

Not the best way to start off a mission.

The shuttle swayed slightly before touching down on the ground. Zaeed was the first one off, eyeing the underbrush for any sign of trouble. The air was humid and filled with the sounds of songbirds in the trees. Brianna tugged at the collar of her black and red jacket. Her armor wasn't like the typical set N7 commissioned. She had taken her gear to a friend of hers to have it remade and fitted to suit her battle style.

It was a light-weight, cloth like armor that could deflect most of the incoming fire her shields couldn't stop and adapted easily to the cloaking commands on her Omni-Tool. Her boots had been specifically modified to reduce noise and foot imprints when she needed to be quiet. The Gloves, Gauntlets and Greaves all had shield generators in them, not as powerful as a full set but it kept her from less harmful gunfire. The Jacket, of course, was just for aesthetic purposes.

Brianna loaded a heat sink into her Sniper Rifle before putting it on her back and drawing her SMG. She started off down the path right away, hoping to get this done and out of the way so she could sit down and talk with her father,

"Tapping into Blue Suns communications. Stay tight, and keep a look out for ambushes."

"Squad Bravo," a harsh voice cut through the silence, "A shuttle landed near your location. Go check it out!"

They walked in a silent tension; Brianna could hear her own heartbeat thundering in her ears. Having her father at her back made her extremely nervous. Her gut kept screaming for her to just turn around and tell him, but a raging voice in her head told her to concentrate. Brianna had never felt more confused, or this angry.

Eventually, they came upon a pile of bodies left rotting in the sun. The smell made her nose cringe and she covered her mouth to keep from breathing it in.

"Shot in the back and left to rot, that's definitely Vido's style."

"Whatever, keep moving." Snapped Shepard. They had barely gotten more than a few yards along the path when Vido Santiago came over the com again,

"Command to Bravo, take up position. Likely these people are not runaways."

Brianna popped her neck and took a deep breath, "Here we go; just keep the heavy fire off of me and this fight will be over before they know it."

"Got it, Shepard." Garrus drew out his assault rifle and ran ahead of her, Zaeed right behind him. They took forward cover after they came around the bend, while Brianna found a safe spot father back. She took out her Sniper Rifle and lined the scope up. Time slowed as she carefully aimed her shot. With a pull of the trigger one mercenary crumpled to the ground, a bullet wound in his head,

"Nice shot!" Called Garrus over his shoulder.

The tactic served them well until the mercenaries realized she was more of a threat then her companions. They started to lay heavy fire upon her, pinning her to her cover. She cursed loudly, ducking her head as a missile landed near her. The explosion rocked the ground and without a second thought she activated her tactical cloak.

The mercenaries stumbled, looking her, giving her enough time to slip behind them and take out their heavy weapons expert. When they realized where she was she had already laid waste to two more men, leaving the survivors to Zaeed and Garrus. But of course they had to send reinforcements, making Brianna's job so much harder.

They had sent out a Mech to try and disable their shields, but Shepard quickly dealt with it before turning her scope on another Heavy Weapons. They dropped to the ground quickly, bleeding from the head. The reinforcements were quickly torn to shreds. The Blue Suns dispatcher on the com called his squads back.

Shepard wasting no time running down the path to the bridge, she quickly activated it. Suddenly, Santiago was back,

"This is Commander Santiago, if any of you retreat while the intruders are still alive, I'll kill you myself."

Brianna stopped the bridge as her father scoffed; Vido…Sounds like he hasn't changed a bit."

"I get the feeling that you two are acquainted…"

Zaeed smirked, "I knew he was a sadistic bastard back when we started the Blue Suns. The suns got a lot meaner after he staged his little coup over twenty years ago. So yeah, I know him."

Brianna shot Garrus a quick glance; he too gave her a shocked look as she turned wide-eyed to Zaeed,

"You founded the Blue Suns?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

Bri furrowed her brows and glared, "Then that should be common knowledge, Zaeed. I've had dealings with the suns before, and they sure has hell didn't mention you."

""Because it's _not_ common knowledge, Vido had me wiped from the records. He ran the books, I lead the men and it worked real well for quite a while. Then Vido started hiring Batarians. Cheaper Labor, he said. Goddamn terrorists, I said."

"You've been chasing this guy for over twenty years," Brianna snarked, she crossed her arms angrily as her glare narrowed, "That's a long time to hold a grudge."

"A grudge!?" Zaeed snapped, he stepped towards her threateningly, throwing a finger into her face, "Vido turned my men against me, he paid six of them to restrain me while he put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger! For over twenty years, I've seen that bastard every time I closed my eyes, every time I sighted down on a target, every time I heard a gunshot. That son of a bitch took everything from me, so don't you dare call that a goddamn grudge."

Brianna screamed internally. She didn't understand why getting revenge on Vido was so important to him. She questioned if she even really mattered to him; if she didn't, what the hell was the point of telling him who she was? He obviously cared more about his precious revenge then her.

"You survived a gunshot to the head?"

"Yeah, and you survived getting spaced. A stubborn enough person can survive just about anything. Rage is a hell of an anesthetic."

Brianna scowled at him and turned back to the bridge controls. As the gap closed Vido Santiago's voice came back over the com,

"They're at the southern access, every mass at the Gate House now!"

"They know we're here…" Muttered Zaeed as he walked across first. Brianna glowered at his back, clenching her fist. She felt like she couldn't hold it back anymore, it was all she could do to keep herself from slugging him here and now,

"Bri," whispered Garrus, "You have to tell him, now."

"Why should I?' she snapped back, looking up the Turian, "You heard him, I obviously didn't matter to him."

"You don't know that, if you just talk to him-"

"Now, are you insane? If I talk to him now, I'm gonna shoot him!"

Garrus opened his mouth to give her a retort when Zaeed called back,

"What the hell are you two doing, let's move!"

Brianna growled and clutched her Sniper rifle, quickly following after her father. The gatehouse wasn't far from their position and it didn't take long for all three of them to walk through the giant doors. A man with dark hair and skin stood on the walkway above them, dressed in Blue Suns armor and surrounded my several of his underlings. He chuckled from his position above them,

"Zaeed Massani, you finally tracked me down."

"Vido," growled Zaeed, his hand going straight for his gun. Brianna casted a glance his way, hate began to cloud his eyes as he glared up at his former partner,

"Don't be stupid, Zaeed," admonished Santiago, "I have a whole company of bloodthirsty bastards behind me waiting to kill or be killed on my command." Shepard really didn't see a good way out of this, the Suns had the high ground which made finding cover almost impossible, "Actually, take your best shot," taunted Vido, "Give my men a reason to put you down like the mad dog you are. Again…"

Before Brianna could start shouting orders her father ran off to the left, firing wildly above him. One of his bullets hit the tank near Vido, earning a chuckle from the leader of the Suns,

"What was that? You getting nearsighted, old friend?"

"Burn, you son of a bitch…" growled her father in reply, aiming at the leak he had caused. Instantly it blew, causing a loud explosion that rocked the compound. Flames licked at the platform above them,

"You just signed your death warrant, Massani," swore Vido as he disappeared back inside the facility. Brianna quickly found cover as she watched in shock as her father beat against a gas valve,

"What the hell are you doing?!"

The gate and walkway went up in a raging inferno, spreading the fire quickly across the compound. Now Brianna had one, simple rule. No matter what, innocents were not to get hurt in her line of fire. If she had to choose between saving someone's life and killing her target, she'd save the innocent.

She had adopted this one rule back when she ran with the Reds. Finch got off on picking on people weaker than him, and Shepard couldn't stand it because she used to be like that; defenseless against the powerful tyrants who ran the streets. She swore she'd never let it happen.

The job description said the employees were being held captive by Vido Santiago, and her father had just put them all in danger.

An action she deemed unacceptable. Brianna snarled as she broke away from cover,

"We don't sacrifice lives for the sake of a mission!" she snarled, "There is _always _a better way!"

"Like what, wandering around in the jungle for hours looking for another way in? You want a waste time doing that, fine. But I'm going to kill Vido."

Then it happened, all of her rage just burst out. She snarled like a wild animal, pulled her fist back, and hit her father as hard as she could. She couldn't describe the feeling hitting him gave her, she only knew it didn't really make her feel that much better. She watched as she stumbled, rubbing his jaw,

"You're endangering innocent lives for your own selfish revenge, you asshole," she spat. Zaeed glared at her,

"You really want to do this, Shepard?"

"You know what, fuck you, it's Brianna Shepard!" She watched the shock flicker across his face, but she was too far gone to let him get a word in edgewise, "Yeah, I'm your daughter you son of a bitch, and I oughtta knock you the fuck out, but because of you I have burning refinery to save!"

Brianna didn't have time to gloat over the fact that she had rendered her father completely speechless. She swiftly turned around and ran into the compound. Two Blue Suns soldiers were waiting for her, but she was so enraged she ran to them headlong and knocked them down. She ran as fast as she could along the exploding walkways, covering her face from the blasts. She was about to walk through a door when a frantic voice called out from nearby,

"Help, we're trapped!" Brianna looked up to the nearby worker, her father and Garrus stopped just by her side, "We can't get to the gas valves to shut them off, this whole place is going to blow!"

"There's no time, Vido's probably already to the shuttles." He was quieter, but his voice still made her feel angry,

"You may be willing to watch these people die," she said hatefully, "But I'm not like you. If you want Vido dead so badly, go do it yourself."

She jumped the railing, and after hacking her way through the security door she ran headlong into the flames. Smoke filled her lungs as she avoided the explosions and fires; she coughed as she came across a kiosk and quickly cut the gas coming through the valves.

Two pairs of footsteps caught up from behind her as she ran up a set of stairs to the next set. She didn't have to look to know that it was Garrus and her father. A flicker of surprise ran through her, why was he here? He had his chance to go after Vido, so why bother saving the workers he was so willing to sacrifice? A worker trapped in a burning room beat weakly against the glass,

"The fire extinguishing system is upstairs," he called faintly, "The doors won't open until the fires out!"

Brianna dashed up the stairs, avoiding a gas pipe break, but she wasn't lucky enough to avoid the next. The explosion knocked her on her ass, and she cried out in shock as her arm began to burn. She put it out as quickly as she could as a pair of clawed hands helped her to her feet.

Shepard quickly found the extinguishing system and turned it on. Water began to pour over the fires, eliciting a sigh of relief from the Commander.

Now to take care of Vido.

It was easy to fight her way through the refinery, now that the fires were out, though the group did meet some resistance along the way. There was a tense moment when all three of them were pinned down by a heavy Mech. Rapid fire bullets flew straight over their heads. Shepard was able to save them by activating her tactical cloak and breaking from cover to get to better ground. Once she had the Mech's attention away from Zaeed and Garrus, the two were able to easily overwhelm its shields and take it down.

Shepard was running at a headlong sprint outside, but was outrun by her father just as a gunship was lifting off,

"Not this time, Zaeed, you son of a bitch," called Vido from over the com, "See you in another twenty years."

The ships thrusters knocked Brianna onto her back, she groaned as she hit her head on the metal platform. Zaeed barely flinched as he fired a few rounds, only to miss and watch as the gunship disappeared into the distance.

* * *

He expected the anger, the hate, and every emotion involved when it came to Vido Santiago. But the one thing he never expected was the gut wrenching shame. He had just made a complete ass of himself to his own daughter. His own goddamn daughter, who happened to be one of the biggest bloody icons in the galaxy. Zaeed cursed under his breath and turned around.

The Gunships thruster had knocked Brianna off balance and onto her back, hitting her head pretty hard in the process. Vakarian was trying to help her to her feet as she began to cuss inventively.

How could he have not seen it?

Her hair, curly and blonde, was just like her mother's, and reflecting back at him in pure hatred was his own eyes.

Zaeed cursed again as she talked quickly over the com, ordering the shuttle to come pick them up. She cursed again as she touched a hand to the back of her head, blood coating it. Vakarian was quick to apply Medi-Gel, and as he worked she turned her eyes to him again.

He turned away in shame; he couldn't stand to see the accusing glare she gave him, because he knew he deserved it. The shuttle came quickly enough, and Brianna was the first to get on. She found a seat as far away as she could possibly get from him, her Turian friend adding a buffer zone between them. They sat in silence the whole ride back to the Normandy, Zaeed casting glances at his daughter when he thought she wasn't looking. She scowled irritably at the deck of playing cards in her hands, flipping them expertly through her fingers. On the ride down to Zorya he had considered asking where she had learned to do that.

It didn't take a genius to know she had probably gained the trick on Earth, where she had grown up in the slums.

Now he really hated himself.

When the shuttle finally landed in the bay, Zaeed was the first to get out. Brianna stormed past him before he could open his mouth. Vakarian was right behind her, and he clasped a hand on her shoulder,

"Bri-" She shrugged his hand away, and with a flick of the wrist she disappeared from view. "Aww, come on Brianna, that's not even fair!"

The only answer was the elevator doors opening at the far end of the shuttle bay, stunned the two men watch the doors close just as she rematerialized.

"Damn it," Vakarian sighed, "You need to talk to her, Zaeed."

"And how do you suggest I do that?" the mercenary snapped, "You saw the way she looked at me; the last thing she wants is a goddamn apology."

"It's not about what she wants; it's about what she needs, and what she needs right now is to understand why you left her back on Earth, and what Vido Santiago really took from you all those years ago. Because all she knows right now is that you cared more about your little mercenary group than you did about her."

Zaeed cursed; for someone so young, he understood him so well. The veteran mercenary waited impatiently for the elevator to come back down before taking it up to the Captain's Cabin. One solitary door stood before him as he stepped off the transport. Taking a deep breath he tried open it,

"Apologies, Mr. Massani, but Commander Shepard has requested that no one enter her Cabin at this time unless it is a life or death situation."

"Damn it, EDI, tell her to open the door. Tell her…" he stared at the metal for moment, "Tell her that her father wants to talk with her."

It was silent for a long time until he heard something loud and breakable hit the door, followed by her enraged screaming. This process continued for several minutes, numerous items hitting the door until she apparently ran out of things to throw. EDI came back seconds later,

"Commander Shepard has requested that you toss yourself out the airlock."

"Goddamn it, girl, open up!" Zaeed pounded his fist against the door, but it still wouldn't budge. He cursed again, and turned his back to it, sliding to the floor slowly. "Brianna, open the door, just let me explain…"

Zaeed sat there for a long time, whether it was minutes or hours that had passed he didn't know. Eventually he started to talk, hoping that perhaps she was listening on the other side of the door,

"Vido and I hadn't been running the suns long when I met your mother," he said, he laughed a bit, "I remember when she walked through the door to our headquarters. She was spunky thing, carrying that rifle around. She asked to sign up and I almost laughed my ass off. Told her to go knit something before she got herself hurt. She punched me for that."

His stories about Jessica went on. He told Brianna about their first job together, where their arguing nearly got the whole squad killed. It continued on for months until one job left forced them to trust each other,

"After that day I never looked at Jessica the same way. She had this fire burning inside her so bright it was dangerous. We started dating shortly afterwards, if you could call it that, and the more time I spent with her the more I fell in love with her. But after a few years, Jessica wanted out. Told me she was tired of the killing; she had saved up enough credits to book transport to Earth where she had a flat in London. She asked me to come with her….."

Zaeed sighed through his nose, looking at his hands, "I told her I couldn't, and I'll always remember the disappointment in her eyes. She left but stayed in contact over the next few months, and the longer I stayed away from her the more I wanted to be with her. She mentioned you in one of her messages, not directly. She wanted me to come visit, said she had a surprise for me, but before I could Vido stabbed me in the back and left me for dead. I was in the hospital for weeks before I could head to Earth."

The old mercenary cursed loudly, clenching his hands, "But Santiago found her just before I did. He ordered his men to kill her. I held her as she died in my arms, Brianna, and when I found you, sleeping through all that goddamn racket, I knew I couldn't be the father you needed me to be."

It was silent for a long time. He had never felt this old before in his life, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the door, weariness spreading through his body. Then –,

"I did a lot of bad shit in this galaxy, Brianna," Zaeed said in a soft tone, "You were the one good thing I ever put in it."

* * *

Brianna sat against that door, listening to her father reminisce about her mother, the remains of broken glass were scattered around her. Her green eyes gazed off into the distance, imagining what her life might have been like if Zaeed had stuck around. Her eyes burned as he described her mother's tragic end, and how believed he wouldn't have been a proper father to her.

_You don't know that,_ she thought sadly, clenching her fistsand trying to fight the tears, _You don't know that…._

"I did a lot of bad shit in this galaxy, Brianna," A part of her resolve broke as he spoke words so powerful they shook her to her core "You were the one good thing I ever put in it."

She choked back a sob; for so long she had harbored a hatred so strong to the man outside her door, it consumed her. But now, listening him confess his sadness and weakness, it painted a picture of him she didn't want to see. She wanted the hate, because in this moment where there was so much pain, it was easier to deal with.

"Brianna," her father's voice was quiet over the speaker, "If you want to talk, you know where to find me."

She heard him move from the door. The silence stretched as he left; and after what seemed like forever Brianna's careful resolve broke, and she started to cry.

* * *

_**A/N: Update: Plot devices were added, and some semblance of an apology from Zaeed. Healing will start a little faster now! Spruced up sentences, grammar, and such, but if you catch something feel free to let me know.**_

_**Use CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM in your reviews please!**_

_**PathlessSpore**_


	6. Hey Jude

Lady Luck  
Mass Effect Fanfiction  
Zaeed/OC  
Adventure/Family/Hurt/Comfort  
Chapter 5  
Hey Jude

_And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain  
Don't carry the world up on your shoulder  
For well, you know, that it's a fool who plays it cool  
by making his world a little colder_

_Hey Jude – The Beatles_

* * *

When Brianna woke up the next morning cycle, her head throbbed painfully. She sniffled softly and rubbed her weary eyes as she turned over onto her back. They cracked open a fraction of an inch and she watched for a moment as stars passed above her. She drank her sorrows away well into the night, hoping to find the answer to her painful problems at the bottom of a bottle of Scotch Whiskey. Bri considered staying under the covers, but she knew she couldn't hide in her room forever. Not when the galaxy was in desperate need of saving. So with a heavy hearted sigh she threw back her covers, groaned painfully as she got up, and made her way to the bathroom for a much needed shower.

Afterwards, she wiped the steam from the mirror and took along hard look at herself. Tired green eyes bore back into her, red from last night's tears and from the Cybernetic Implants grafted into her skull. Her sopping wet, blond hair fell over her shoulders, almost blending in with her pale skin. Which made the Cybernetic implant scars much easier to see, since the damn things glowed. The thought crossed her mind to have Dr. Chakwas remove the scars like she offered.

With another defeated sigh, she finished dressing and walked out of her room. A part of her half expected her father to be sitting against the opposite wall, waiting to talk to her. If she was honest with herself, she almost hoped for it. But deep inside she knew she would have blown him off anyway.

The CIC was sparse when she finally arrived on the deck; only Kelly Chambers and a few dozen crew members were working as others rested. Yeoman Chambers was typing away on her computer when the Commander walked past, she looked up cheerfully,

"Good Morning, Commander!" She said, "You have a new message at your private terminal."

Shepard answered with a grunt and a noncommittal wave of her wand, and continued to the cockpit of the Normandy. With another groan she threw herself into the co-pilot's seat.

"Hey," Joker glanced over at her, and gave her a lopsided grin, "How you feeling?"

"I'll admit," Bri said, an arm covering her eyes, "I've been better..."

"I bet," The Flight Lieutenant smirked, "Finding out your dad is on the same ship with you is tough. Finding out that he spent your whole life chasing down some asshole instead of raising his own kid is just a kick in the balls."

"Yeah," scoffed Shepard, "thanks for summing up my life for me."

"No problem, I'll put it on a Christmas card for you." Suddenly Joker tapped a few buttons on his console, "I found this last night for you; I know it's your favorite song."

Music started playing through the cockpit speakers,

"_Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better."_

Brianna smiled and leaned her head back to close her eyes, "Thanks Joker, I don't know where I'd be without my pilot."

"Depressed, alone, probably still dead; pick your favorite."

Shepard laughed, "Set our course for Purgatory, we're gonna have to pick up Jack."

"You got it Commander. Hey where are you going?"

Joker watched as Brianna heaved herself from the chair, and stretched,

"I figured I'd go wake up that Krogan in the meantime, it's better than locking myself in my room and drinking. Besides, it'll be fun."

"Only you'd think waking up an 800 pound tank of rage would be fun."

Bri took the elevator down the Engineering Deck and paused as she got off the steel contraption. She looked to her right at the closed door at end of the hall. Her father was on the other side, waiting for her to come and talk to him. She considered it for a moment, and even went as far as to take a few steps towards it.

But she stopped herself and turned the other way. For several minutes she considered the Krogan inside his tank,

"EDI, lock the room, if I can't control this Krogan make sure doesn't get out."

"Commander Shepard, you realize you'll be killed if I do so."

"Noted, unlock the room when the situation has been dealt with."

"Very well, commander, the switch –and consequences- are yours."

She heard the Port Cargo door lock, and with a deep breath she pressed the open command on the tanks' keypad. The liquid drained and the glass popped open with a hiss, the Krogan dropped to his knees and coughed up the water in his lungs. Brianna tensed as he stood, towering over her even slouching as he was, blue eyes bore into her skull. Suddenly he snarled loudly, charging her with his full strength, slamming her up against the wall and pinning his arm against her throat. Bri grunted in pain, a hand clawing at him in an effort to ease the pressure,

"Human, female, before you die I need a name."

Shepard scoffed, "It's Commander Shepard, and I don't take threats lightly, you better put me down before you regret it."

"Not you name," the Krogan said, "Mine. I am trained, I know things, but the tank…, Okeer couldn't implant the connection. His words are hollow. Warlord, Legacy, Grunt…" He paused for a moment, considering those words as Shepard's free hand snuck down to her hip, "'Grunt' was among the last, it has no meaning; it will do."

Brianna's attention snapped away from the Krogan as she heard frantic voices outside the door. She recognized Garrus' voice, who was shouting at EDI to be let in. She also noted that her father was currently cussing out the AI as well. For a moment she wondered why he was even out there, then mentally slapped herself because of course he would have heard the commotion, he was right across the hall.

But the Krogan was taking again, so she focused, "I am Grunt, if you are worthy of your command, prove your strength and try to destroy me."

"Why do you want me to try and kill you?" Bri remarked snidely,

"Want?" the tank-bred tossed that word around like it was unfamiliar, "I do what I am meant to do—fight and reveal the strongest. Nothing in the tanks ever asked what I want. I feel nothing for Okeer's clan or his enemies, that imprint failed, he has failed. Without a reason that's mine, one fight is as good as any other. Might as well start with you."

"Huh," scoffed Bri, she had stopped struggling and looked the Krogan in the eyes, "I didn't realize it was that easy for the perfect Krogan to abandon his mission."

"Okeer is just another voice in the tank. If his imprints are true, then he has created something stronger than him and therefore is not worthy of me. And if his hatreds aren't strong enough to compel me, they've failed too. I feel nothing. I have no connection."

"Think about this way," Bri said with a grunt, she pushed on his arm and managed to ease the pressure on her throat, "I took you, I own you, fight with me and we'll find you a purpose."

"Hah," Grunt snickered, "The imprints never told me humans could be so forceful. You command as though you've earned it."

"You're damn right I earned it. I earned my name and command with the blood of the people who were stupid enough to get in my way. My enemies threaten galaxies, and maybe if you're smart enough to let me down I'll let you have a chance at them."

Grunt gave her a small harrumph, "That is…acceptable. Very well, I'll fight for you."

Brianna heard the door unlock at that moment, and her father and Garrus ran into the room with their guns drawn,

"Well," Said Brianna, "I'm glad you saw reason."

Grunt hardly paid attention to the two men in the room with them as he looked down at the gun trained over his heart. He laughed as he let go of her throat. Bri gasped and rubbed her neck, sure that there was going it was going to bruise, "Offer one hand, but arm the other, wise Shepard."

"It's a useful survival skill," Muttered Brianna as she turned around, only to see an angry Turian bearing down on her. She had to resist the urge to scream in terror as he towered above her. She pondered for a moment why everyone seemed to do that, then she remembered she was short.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" cried Garrus, Brianna gave him short glare,

"I was thinking I wouldn't have to explain myself to you, because I do whatever the fuck I want whether I have your permission or not."

She stepped past him, and strode past her father, taking special care not to look at him. She didn't want to deal with him right now, not when Garrus was trying to rip her a new one. The angry Turian followed after her, fuming, but it was Zaeed who voiced his own opinion,

"Girl, you have to be some special kind of stupid to pull a stunt like that without backup."

Brianna blinked in shock, but managed to keep walking, she could only offer a scoff in return, "My entire military career is based on stupid decisions, and so far it's worked out pretty well for me." She walked into the elevator, and stepped aside so Garrus could fit in with her. Zaeed muttered under his breath but walking back into his room, as he passed she noticed that he looked terrible.

"Your luck ran out once, Brianna," Her friend noted, "I'd rather you not take any chances."

Shepard laughed, "I came back from the dead. So I wouldn't say my luck ran out; it just took a little time to kick in. But if you're afraid I might not be able to live up to my nickname I can find my cards and we can find out."

Garrus chuckled as the doors closed, "I don't think so; I learned my lesson last time."

"Good, now get geared up, we're going to Purgatory to pick up Jack."

* * *

_**A/N: Okay so they managed some semblance of a conversation without Brianna freaking out. It's a start but their big talk is coming up soon.**_

_**Reviews are appreciated. To those who have done so already, named and unnamed, thank you! Please leave Constructive Criticism!**_

_**PathlessSpore **_


	7. Lady So Divine

Lady Luck  
Mass Effect Fanfiction  
Zaeed/FemShepard  
Adventure/Family/Hurt/Comfort  
Chapter 6  
Lady So Divine

_She's here to rescue me_  
_ Stain my mind with make believe_  
_ If it's dark, she still shines_  
_ She's my lady, so divine_  
_ Lady so divine, come and change my mind_  
_ Lady so divine_

_Lady So Divine-Shinedown_

* * *

They had some downtime, after picking up the thermal cables for Kenneth and Gabby down in engineering. Due to their sudden increase of free time, Donnelly had the nerve to ask her if she wanted to play Skyllian Five Poker. It earned them a laugh from their commander,

"You're sure you want to, Donnelly?"

"Sure thing, Commander, it'll be interesting to see how you earned that name of yours."

"You're on, meet me on the crew deck in ten. I'll try and find more people to play."

She grinned as she turned and left the room; swiftly she went into Jack's hideaway and poked her head around the corner, "Hey I'm getting some people together to play some Skyllian Five, you up to it?"

"Shepard," snapped Jack, her angry eyes turning to glare up at her. She had a data pad in her hands, "I'm a little busy right now, go bother someone else."

Brianna shrugged, "Fine, if you want to cower in the dark it's your loss."

She left the biotic to her own devices, and stopped short of the elevator. She and Zaeed still had yet to sit down and talk, she managed to be cordial to him when they passed but not much was exchanged between the two. Quietly she walked up to the door, her fist hovering just over it. Before she could second guess herself she knocked,

"If you're up for a game of Skyllian Five, I'm getting some people together to play!" She called through the door. There was no sound from the other side, after a moment of standing there like an idiot she turned away.

Bri walked around the Normandy gathering a group to play with. Eventually, Grunt, Garrus, Kenneth, Gabby, Jacob, and surprisingly Jack were all sitting at the table. Miranda had declined, saying she was busy with paperwork, Kasumi told her that she wasn't willing to take her chances, and Mordin was still busy working on a way to counteract the Collector Swarms.

Just as they were about to start when footsteps came from around the corner, "There any room?" Zaeed asked, Garrus simply slid over his chair allowing her father to pull up a seat.

* * *

Everyone was dealt a hand of five cards. Zaeed eyed his deck, noting his Queen of hearts and spades, along with his five of diamonds, three of hearts, Ace of spades. Not a bad start to the game, but not good either. Quickly he glanced up at the group, Jack looked like she wasn't trying to cuss under her breath; either she was bluffing (which he doubted) or she was dealt a crappy hand.

Garrus had a good poker face so the mercenary turned his attention to the Krogan. It was his first time at the game; Jacob was giving hands on lessons, explaining a few rules and what various hands meant. Jacob looked at his hand and scratched his chin. Kenneth was smirking smugly at his hand, again he was either bluffing or he had a good hand. It was too early to tell, but his friend Gabby kept it together.

Finally there was Brianna, and he honestly couldn't tell what she was thinking. Her face was blank, her green eyes staring down at the table instead of her hands. She played with her cards, as she waited for someone to check. When no one started the betting she threw a hundred credits into the pot.

Garrus called her bet and put another hundred in. Zaeed raised another hundred, while Jack cursed and folded her hand, throwing the cards face down on the table. Jacob matched his bet with Grunt while Kenneth raised another, adding three hundred credits to the eight hundred sitting in the pot. Gabby matched his bet.

The first round of betting was over. Brianna instantly threw in two of her cards and drew from the deck. Again, her poker face was solid. She gazed at her cards, and then continued to ignore them. Zaeed did the same. While everyone took their turns discarding and drawing the mercenary considered his hand.

He had managed to draw another Queen by discarding his five of diamonds, and he almost grinned at the other Ace he managed to draw. A Full House, he had a good chance at winning. The next round of betting started and he watched as Gabby, Jacob, and Grunt instantly folded. Brianna raised another hundred credits adding four hundred to the one thousand four hundred credits in the pot. Zaeed matched her while Garrus folded. Kenneth raised another hundred, making the pot total to two thousand seven hundred credits.

Finally it was the showdown. Brianna leaned back in her chair and eyed him and Kenneth.

"Let's see 'em." She said, and Kenneth put down his hand. He too had a Full house but Zaeed managed to beat his Jacks with his Queens. Donnelly cursed and everyone looked to his daughter, waiting for her big reveal.

"Quit stalling, commander," taunted Kenneth, she grinned and threw down her hand. An Ace high straight flush. She had blown everyone out of the park. Donnelly cursed while Vakarian groaned low in his throat,

"Here we go…" He muttered as he suddenly stood, "Alright, Bri, if I'm going to play poker with you I want to get good and drunk so I don't have to remember how many credits I lost."

"Good idea, hey Joker!" Garrus disappeared for a few moments before returning with an armful of liquor.

The pilot didn't take long to answer, "What's up, Commander?"

"Take us to the citadel, with the way tonight's game is looking we're gonna run out of booze before midnight."

"Garrus, you stuffy Turian, are you hitting the alcohol already?" Vakarian chose not to dignify him with an answer as he passed around the liquor, Joker laughed, "Can do, Bri, we'll be there in about an hour so try not to drink it all."

"No promises," she said with a grin as she reshuffled the deck, "Alright, next round!"

* * *

_**Several Hours Later**_

Zaeed's head was starting to get fuzzy, he took another drink of his Vodka/Whiskey combination and shook his head. His cards were the shittiest they had been all night, and when the betting round started he instantly folded. Only he, Kenneth, and Garrus were still playing and somehow their poker game had turned into a competition to see who could beat Brianna's hand.

Jack had given up halfway through the night, cussing out the Commander and accusing her of cheating. Jacob soon left afterwards, followed eventually by Grunt. Gabby gave up shortly after midnight, leaving the three men to try and win back their credits.

Zaeed was glad he eventually started to save his credits earlier in the night, otherwise his own daughter would have cleared him out ages ago. Garrus was playing conservatively as well, but Donnelly was on his last few credits, all of which he had placed into the pot. The old mercenary watched as the last round of betting stopped; the Turian had wisely folded leaving the battle between Brianna and the stubborn engineer.

He laid down his hand, three of a kind. Not bad, but it wasn't good either, and the way Brianna had been playing tonight didn't bode well for his funds. Brianna sighed, stretched her arms and threw her cards down.

Full House.

"Son of a bitch…" muttered Donnelly in his drunk Scottish accent, "That's it, I'm done, you wiped me clean." With a defeated throw of his arms, he left his seat and grumbled all the way back to the elevator. Zaeed chuckled and finished off his drink,

"That's twenty three games in a row, girl. Where'd you learn to play like that?"

"You can't learn how to be lucky." She replied simply as she finished her glass of Bourbon, "You guys giving up?"

Zaeed laughed again and nodded, "Yeah, I want to at least keep _some_ of my credits." He said as he eyed the large pile sitting on the table. There was nearly twenty thousand credits in that pile, not including the ones she used to pay for beer runs earlier in the night. Vakarian agreed, taking what little of his dignity and credits he had left with him into the Main Battery.

"I love it when I win…" Brianna sighed as she started to count out her winnings. Zaeed smirked and rubbed his eyes and stood up,

"Good game!" he called over his shoulder as he disappeared from her view,

"You too." She called back. Zaeed smiled as he rode the elevator down to engineering. At least she wasn't yelling at him.

* * *

_**A/N: Filler Chapter, and relatively fast to post since I had a ¾ of it done the night before. Was just going over it so see if I could find errors. So please leave a review.**_

_**Use Constructive Criticism please!**_

_**PathlessSpore**_


	8. Radioactive

Lady Luck  
Mass Effect Fanfiction  
Zaeed/FemShepard  
Adventure/Family/Hurt/Comfort  
Chapter 7  
Radioactive

_All systems go, the sun hasn't died_  
_Deep in my bones, straight from inside_

_I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones_  
_Enough to make my systems blow_  
_Welcome to the new age, to the new age_  
_Welcome to the new age, to the new age_  
_I'm Radioactive_

_Radioactive – Imagine Dragons_

* * *

Shepard was staring hard at the terminal, scanning nearby planets for resources hidden at their core. It had been a pet project of hers since picking up Jack. There were no dossiers in her terminal, nor had the Collectors made a move. Initially it was the high levels of Element Zero that had caught her attention, but the spots of Platinum had been a nice bonus as well. (Because of course Mordin needed it to upgrade her Sniper Rifle.)

Brianna hummed softly, concentrating on her work; that was until someone tapped her on the shoulder. She cursed loudly and spun on her heel to stare down an abashed Yeoman Chambers,

"Don't ever sneak up on me like that again!" Brianna warned sternly,

"I'm sorry, Commander," she said with a blush, "The Illusive Man has just contacted the Normandy; he wishes to speak with you. He says it's urgent."

Brianna nodded and shut down her terminal. With a brisk stride, she walked through the armory (greeting Jacob enthusiastically) and into the meeting room. She adjusted her leathers accordingly and had Joker patch her into the hologram system. She was uploaded to the Illusive Man's base mere seconds later.

The enigmatic leader of Cerberus sat in his chair, smoking on a cigarette,

"Shepard," he said seriously, "I think we have them."

Bri scoffed, "Well it's about damn time, where?"

"Horizon, located in the Terminus Systems. Communications just went dark; if it isn't already under attack, it soon will be. Has Mordin delivered the countermeasure for the seeker swarms?"

Brianna shrugged, "Not that I know of, but if he hasn't I'm sure I can convince him to hurry the hell up."

"Well then, let's hope he works well under pressure." As Brianna turned away to get the Normandy moving, the Illusive Man called out, "There's something else you should know," he took a long drag of his death stick, "One of your former crew mates, Kaiden Alenko, is stationed on Horizon."

"I'm not one to believe in coincidences," muttered the Commander darkly, The Illusive Man huffed in amusement,

"Neither am I Shepard, the Alliance is up to something and if they sent Alenko it must be big. We finally got the jump on them, Commander, so I don't need to remind you how important this is."

Brianna scowled and crossed her arms, "Don't tell me how to do my job." And with that she cut the channel, "Joker, get us to Horizon as quick as you can, and tell Garrus and Grunt to get their scaly asses to the armory to gear up. It's about time I took the Krogan out for a test run."

"You got it, Commander!"

When she arrived at the lab Mordin was studying one of the Collector bugs, she came up to his side quickly,

"Please tell me you have a way to counteract the swarms." She said. In reply, the Salarian smiled at her and walked over to his desk,

"Yes."

* * *

**_A Few Minutes Later_**

"Sorry Shepard, I know this mission to Horizon is a priority, but the Thanix Cannon hasn't integrated well with the Normandy. I just need to do a few more calibrations and it'll be set."

Garrus mouth moved nervously under her stern gaze, "And what does this have to do with coming to Horizon with me?"

"Because if I leave without finishing up, the system could potentially backfire and destroy the Normandy."

"Well then, who do you suggest I bring along?" Shepard snapped angrily, crossing her arms. The Turian shrugged nonchalantly,

"What about Miranda, or Jacob?"

"I need firepower." Replied Brianna,

"Grunt should be more than enough firepower for you, Bri." Retorted her friend, the commander sighed impatiently,

"This is a test run for Grunt; I want some extra punch just in case he buckles. I'm not saying he will, but just in case, and unfortunately I don't think Miranda and Jacob could provide that for me."

"You're the Commander," said Garrus, "What about Kasumi?"

"Firepower, Garrus, firepower." Shepard said dryly,

"Then take your father."

Silence stretched between the two for a moment, then—

"I get the feeling that's why you won't go with me…."

"Maybe," said the sharpshooter innocently, "But for all you know, the Normandy could blow up if I don't finish these calibrations. So if you need firepower then I suggest you take Zaeed." Suddenly Garrus nudged her playfully on the arm, "Besides, it'll give the two of you some time to bond."

Brianna rolled her eyes and stalked out of the main battery, "Yeah," she called over her shoulder, "Nothing like death to help a father and his daughter bond! EDI, tell my father to get to the Lab so he can get Mordin's Collector Swarm Countermeasure. He's coming with me to Horizon."

"Right away, Commander."

* * *

When EDI told him that Brianna demanded his presence on Horizon, he didn't know whether to feel elated or nervous. But he did as he was told anyway, and after obtaining the armor upgrades he was sitting next to Grunt on the shuttle down to the planet. She told him it was a test run for the Krogan, playing with the deck of cards in her hands. A sign that meant she was nervous too.

Whether it was about him or the mission, he couldn't tell.

But his presence was needed because her Turian friend was unavailable, and she needed firepower to offset any shortcomings Grunt might have. Sound logic, but he got the distinct feeling her friend had coerced her into this.

He'd have to thank Vakarian later.

They met the Collectors almost as soon as their boots hit the ground. Their ship lingered in the distance, intimidating to even Zaeed, and the mercenary was hardly intimidated by anything. He glanced at Brianna then, and watched and her jaw and fists clenched. It couldn't have been easy to see that thing, and know that it had torn her life apart in an instant. Hell, it didn't make him feel any better, he was still coming to terms with the fact his own daughter had died.

Their first skirmish with the bugs was a rough one. Grunt, despite his perfect genes, fought like the Krogan in his imprints. He was reckless, and short-tempered, and nearly got them all killed by almost charging down the enemy line. Brianna managed to stop him by forsaking her cover in the back, and pulling him to safety by his armor. They were pinned until Zaeed fired a concussive round to throw off enemies' balance.

It allowed the commander to break cover, line up her rifle, and drop a Collector as she found a new hiding place. The remaining few collectors were easily dealt with once their numbers was depleted. They worked well together in large group, almost in near synchronization, which allowed them to flank the small team from all sides.

After the battle was over, Bri turned on Grunt,

"Reckless!" she yelled, her head titled back so she could look him in his eyes. It amused the old mercenary to see the tiny woman lay into a Krogan as if she was his size, "We work as team or I send your ass back to the Normandy! Do I make myself clear?!"

Grunt bobbed his head, "Got it."

A few more missions like this and Brianna would have Grunt thinking and acting like a teammate in no time. And if things went well for the tank bred, Zaeed could see him being a capable leader.

The next set of enemies brought along friends. He had heard of husks before, but had never really seen one up close and personal before. That fight had gotten him closer than he would have liked, and the blue skinless bastards weren't easy to deal with when they were getting shot at.

"Husks," shuddered Brianna, "I hate husks…"

"Guess the Illusive Man was right," muttered Zaeed as the small group came up on one, "The Collectors answer to the Reapers." He cursed under his breath as Brianna bent down to study the creature.

"That thing looks human," observed Massani, "The Collectors must be using the colonists for raw materials."

"I don't think so," replied Bri as she stood, she craned her head to look at him, "Back on Eden Prime, the Geth used Dragon's Teeth to turn human's into husks, there aren't any Teeth that I've seen. Which means that the Collectors must have already had these pre-made."

"They must want the colonist alive." Commented Grunt, Bri shook her head,

"I'm not sure I want to know for what, but these husks look different from the ones I've fought before. I want to say more advanced."

"They die just the same as anything else, Brianna." Zaeed remarked. She smirked at that,

"True, alright let's go. We've got a colony to save."

They couldn't do anything for the frozen colonists so moved past them to walk deeper inside the settlement. The next group of Collectors should have been easy, but nobody ever expected one of them to talk. It shone with an eerie yellow light as it pursued Brianna across the battlefield, throwing biotic charges after her. The only reason she was able to avoid it pinning her was because of her tactical cloak, and after so many surprise shots it crumpled to the floor.

Brianna fought to breathe, tentatively Zaeed walked up behind her and placed a careful hand on her shoulder. She swallowed and closed her eyes, "I'm fine," she said quietly, "I'm fine."

But she wasn't.

She couldn't fool him.

* * *

She felt his hand on her shoulder, "I'm fine." She told him, and she had the distinct feeling he didn't believe her. They fought onward to the garage and faced the mechanic who had hidden himself out of fear. There he told them about the Defense Towers that had been set up, but couldn't fire straight. An easy fix, she told him, she only needed the location.

"That Alliance soldier that was sent here," Zaaed said quietly as they stepped outside, "You knew him?"

"Yeah, he worked with me on the original Normandy, he's a good friend."

_At least I still hope he is…_

The faced a small army of Collectors, Husks, and Scions and she was thankful one of the damn bugs was stupid enough to leave a particle cannon lying about. The Husks were easily taken care of along with their masters, save for the one who shone with a sickly yellow light. Like the one before it chased her across the field, firing strange Biotics that knocked her off her feet when it hit her.

She lay there for a moment, stunned with her vision spinning. Then, it was right in front of her with a gun in her face. Brianna tried to scramble up, to hit the cloak on her Omni-Tool, but she had reacted too late. Her life flashed across her eyes for the second time in her life, something she wasn't all too proud of.

"You will die here, Shepard." It said but before it could pull the trigger a loud bang echoed through the empty air. Blood spurted out of the bullet wound in its head and it dropped dead. From behind it, Zaeed holstered his rifle with a snarl,

"Not this time, you son of a bitch." He snapped, his eyes blazing. With a heavy sigh of relief Shepard picked herself up and dusted off her red and black leathers. She looked down at the Collector who had spoken to her. Suddenly, anger began to boil her blood and her vision flashed red.

She violently kicked the body before storming off towards the Defense Tower Transmitter. She'd show those creepy bugs just exactly who they were dealing with.

* * *

She stood over the body of that thing, staring at it until a vicious snarl crossed her face and her boot kicked in the side of its head. Then, with a backwards glance, she stalked through the buildings to the locked door. Zaeed knew the look she was wearing well; it was the look of a woman who was on a war path. He had seen that same fire in Jessica's eyes whenever someone was stupid enough to cross her.

He and Grunt followed after her as she easily hacked the lock. There the transmitter stood in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by more enemies. They put up one hell of a fight but Brianna was mad and she tore through them quickly and with little effort. Once the area was clear Brianna allowed EDI to reset the Towers targeting system.

Of course that attracted attention.

And it wasn't the good kind.

They held their ground as best they could against the hail of gunfire raining down on them, along with the added nuisance of the Husks and Scions. Finally EDI managed to get the guns working and fired upon the Collector ship. Eventually the enemy was forced to retreat with over half of the colony on board,

"No," cried the mechanist, "Don't let them get away."

"How the hell do you expect me to chase down a ship that large without it tearing my vessel in half?" Snapped Brianna crossing her arms,

"Half the colony is on that. They took Egan, and Sam, and Lilith!" He rounded on Brianna, "Do something!"

She hesitated for a moment before scowling, "What about you, huh? I was fighting the collectors while you hid in your damn bunker!"

"Be grateful, you'd be in that ship too if it wasn't for Shepard." Commented Grunt with a sneer.

"Shepard? I know that name…" the mechanist turned around and really looked at his daughter for the first time, "I remember you, you're some big Alliance hero."

"Commander Shepard," Brianna stiffened in surprise, and a young man wearing military armor came walking out from behind some crates, "Captain of the Normandy, the first human Spectre, and savior of the Citadel. You're in the presence of a legend, Dalan," chastised the solider before looking at Bri, "And a ghost."

Dalan merely scoffed at them and stalked away.

The officer and Brianna stared at each other for a moment. Zaeed noticed there was a tense wariness around her as the younger man shook his head, "I thought you were dead, Shepard," he said softly, "We all did."

"It's been a while," she commented, "How've you been?"

"That's it? That's all you have to say? You're dead for two years, then show up here and act like nothing's happened!" He spat, stepping forward to throw a finger in her face, "And if that's not insulting enough I find out you're working for Cerberus! What the hell, you saw the shit they did, how could you stoop so low!?"

"Because Cerberus is the only one who gives a damn about the missing colonies!" she spat back, her stance getting defensive. Zaeed fought to hold his temper in check as he scoffed,

"You knew she was alive and working for Cerberus?"

"Alliance Intel thought that they might be behind the missing colonies, we got a tip saying this colony might be next. Anderson stonewalled me, but there were rumors that you might not be dead and that you were working for the enemy."

"Cerberus and I are benefitting from a mutual relationship because we want the same thing: to stop the Collectors. That does not mean I work for them"

"Maybe that's want Cerberus wants you to think," the Alliance soldier said stubbornly, "I wanted to believe the rumors that you were alive, but I never expected anything like this. You've turned your back on everything we stood for!"

Brianna's hand moved swiftly. The soldier's head snapped back as her palm swiped across his face, leaving him stunned with a red mark slowly appearing on his cheek, "I'm no traitor, Kaidan" she hissed, "The Collectors answer to the Reapers, and they're the ones behind the missing colonies."

"And if you're wrong? What if Cerberus is using the threat of a Reaper to manipulate you!?"

"Typical Alliance, always blind to the bigger threats in the galaxy." Zaeed shook his head and crossed his arms. Kaidan turned his gaze towards the grizzled mercenary and glared but said nothing,

"So I take it you're not going to listen to reason?"

"You show up here working for Cerberus, tell me, where does reason figure into any of this. You've changed, Brianna, and maybe not for the better, but at least I know where my loyalties lie."

Brianna stiffened as Zaeed flicked his gaze over to her.

That must have stung.

They watched Kaidan walk away until-,

"Son of a bitch," Brianna cursed, she tapped her communicator, "Joker, send the shuttle to pick us up. I've had enough of this

* * *

**_A/N: First off: Grunt. Don't get me wrong, I love my little destructive Krogan like a son, but I have to imagine there being a few problems with Grunt on his first mission out, because real life usually doesn't have a computer controlling your teammates. So a little bit of TLC was required to help my baby Krogan grow._**

**_Secondly: Kaidan, he's a bit more of an ass than in the game, but I needed his words to have a little more venom to them. Cause that's gonna help father and daughter bond._**

**_So, please review, leave CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, and have a good day._**

**_PathlessSpore_**


	9. Wake Me Up

Lady Luck  
Mass Effect Fanfiction  
Zaeed Massani/FemShepard  
Family/Adventure/Hurt/Comfort  
Chapter 8  
Wake Me Up

_So wake me up when it's all over  
When I'm wiser and I'm older  
All this time I was finding myself  
And I didn't know I was lost_

_Wake Me Up-Avicii_

* * *

They had been docked at the Citadel for a few hours now, having arrived right after the Mission on Horizon. Since being aboard the Normandy, Brianna hadn't shown her face until they had hit the Capital Station. As soon the crew was cleared to come ashore she disappeared into the wards and hadn't been heard from since.

Zaeed had just picked up a few mods for his sniper rifle when he decided he needed a drink. He wandered down to the lowest level of the Zakera ward, where the buildings and shops cramped together almost uncomfortably. The lights were dim as he passed market stalls selling their wares with shoppers haggling and arguing with their owners.

Then, it came into view.

The Wandering Blue Pyjak, a small bar with old fashioned tastes and damn good whiskey. He hadn't been here for a while and was eager to see if Robert was still running the place. The old mercenary chuckled; Robert was a former mercenary who had taken the bar from his own father when he retired. He'd gotten tired of the killing and hung up his gun, but told Zaeed he'd always have a drink ready for him if he wanted it.

The door opened with a hiss and the smell of cigars and alcohol invaded his senses. Smoke filled most of the room as people laughed at the tables and booths. Music filtered out of the speakers, some new tech music that he didn't recognize.

Zaeed recognized Robert behind the bar, filling the glasses of patrons. And the one patron he was serving right now had familiar blonde curly hair. Her arms were up on the blue lit surface, her head resting in her hands.

"Zaeed?" Robert looked up at him as he walked closer and raised a hand in greeting, "Shit, it's been a while."

"Yeah, how've you been?" Massani took a seat next to his daughter as she raised her head to drain her glass. She slammed it back down on the bar, and it was dutifully refilled,

"Not bad actually, it's been a little quiet around here but I ain't complainin."

"How much has she had?" He jerked a head to Brianna, who laughed,

"Not enough." She replied as she took another drink, "What are you doing here, old man?"

"I've been coming here since before you born, girl." He turned to Robert, "Whiskey, and Vodka on the rocks." The bartender smiled and filled his order, putting the glass down in front of him, "How the hell did you know about this place?"

"Friend of mine brought me here once, said I'd like it. He was right." Brianna cursed, "Robert I don't want to listen to this shit, who the hell requested this anyway?"

"I'm not telling you so you can punch them in the face," retorted Rob playfully as he cleaned a glass, "Besides Classic Hour is coming up soon, any requests?"

"Play "Hey Jude" for me, will ya?"

Robert chuckled, "You haven't changed at all, Bri." He walked away to let the two have peace. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying their drinks as Brianna brooded. Zaeed wanted to say something, anything to give her some sort of comfort. But he wasn't good at that kind of shit, and he doubted she wanted to hear anything like that from him. But that didn't stop him,

"You can't save them all, but saving half is better than none."

"You'd think I'd learn that lesson by now," she muttered, finishing her drink. She stared at the empty glass for a long time, "He called me a traitor. I've served in the Alliance since I was eighteen, I did shit that would've killed ordinary men and that bastard had the audacity to call _me_ a traitor?!"

Zaeed grabbed the glass before she could throw it, "He's stupid, blind, and refuses to accept the obvious. You're doing what's necessary to help, as far as I'm concerned that doesn't make you a traitor."

It was quiet, then—

"Thanks."

The music in the bar suddenly died before coming back with an old, but familiar tune. He smiled and glanced down at Brianna and found her singing along softly. She motioned for Robert to fill her glass again,

"_And anytime you feel the pain, Hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world up on your shoulder. For well, you know that it's a fool who plays it cool by making his world a little colder."_

"Brianna, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry." Zaeed said after a long while, he looked at her. She closed her green eyes and sighed, "I just wanted what was best for you. If I had known—"

"Wishful thinking doesn't change anything," she replied dryly, "I hated you; I hated you so much for what you did, for what you damned me to. But I guess in the end I wouldn't be here now if that hadn't happened. I guess if I had a chance to, I wouldn't change a thing."

Massani smirked; it would be some time before she trusted him, but this was at least a start. He had chance to be with his daughter again, and he was gonna make the best of it. So he sat there with her at that bar, and together they drank silence.

* * *

_**A/N: Short but sweet, I'm going to try and get Brianna to spend more time with her father from now on. Any ideas or request of the trouble those two can get into together? I'm eager for some feedback here, people. This silence is a little disheartening...**_

_**Anywho, review and leave CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.**_

_**Thanks  
PathlessSpore**_


	10. Boss's Daughter

Lady Luck  
Mass Effect Fanfiction  
Zaeed Massani/FemShepard  
Family/Adventure/Hurt/Comfort  
Chapter 9  
Boss's Daughter

_That girl, she's a loaded gun  
Gonna take 'em out, take 'em one by one  
She knows when she's dressed to kill  
She'll put a bullet in your heart just to feel the thrill._

_She walks like she's walkin on water  
She moves like the Boss's Daughter_

_Boss's Daughter – Pop Evil_

* * *

"Hey Shepard, I've got a job that you might like." Kasumi Goto sat down next to Brianna as she sat at the Mess Hall table. The Commander looked up from her book and cocked a brow,

"Oh? And that would be?"

"A mission full of secrecy and lies," the thief chuckled softly and nudged her commanding officer in the arm, "A little stealth, a little danger. I need someone who knows how to walk around unseen, and next to me, I hear you're one of the best."

"Apparently not, if you've heard stories."

"So, you'll do it?"

Brianna noted the desperate sparkle in Kasumi's eyes and she laughed, "Alright, I'll do it."

"Good, now I need you to find the most whorish dress you own."

Bri looked down at her military leathers, than back up at Kasumi, "This won't work?"

"Not for this, it won't. We're going gate crashing."

* * *

Zaeed and Garrus stared down the little thief as she waited for Brianna in the shuttle bay. They had just found out that the duo would be going planet side without backup. An idea that he and Vakarian were not fond of,

"Come on, Kasumi," argued Garrus reasonably as Zaeed crossed his arms, "One of us should at least go as backup, in case you get into trouble."

"I don't know which one of you will attract more attention," she retorted, "The giant Turian tailing "Ms. Allison Gunn" around, or the most notorious bounty hunter in the terminus systems."

The old bounty hunter ground his teeth irritably, "Better than letting you two go in alone."

"No," the little woman replied firmly, "This is going to be an "In and Out" job, nothing too complicated."

"Nothing's ever simple when it comes to Brianna." Said Zaeed, the thief chuckled at him and punched him in the arm,

"Have a little more faith in your daughter, Zaeed. She was trained for these kinds of situations; she's a professional."

That didn't make him feel any better. The two stood there arguing for a few minutes, but Kasumi refused to budge. As the fight was about to escalate the elevator doors opened behind them,

"Brianna," Garrus turned around to confront the commander, but stop dead mid-sentence and dropped his jaw. Confused, Zaeed spun on his heels.

Brianna walked towards them sporting a small black, leather cocktail dress that barely reached past her thighs. Her three inch heels clicked against the floor while her long hair tumbled over her shoulders and down her back. Her eyes sparkled under her bangs, and her blood red lips pulled into a smile as she strode past Garrus.

Without breaking her gait she reached out and closed his mouth. The Turian watched her open the shuttle doors, slip into the seat, and cross her legs, waiting ever so patiently for Kasumi.

"_She's a grown woman; she can take care of herself." _Zaeed mentally repeated several times, but he found that he disapproved of the lack of clothing she was wearing. Vakarian still had yet to find his voice as Kasumi waved goodbye and disappeared into the shuttle. As they waited for clearance Garrus immediately stalked off muttering under his breath,

"I need a cold shower…"

* * *

An hour or so later, Zaeed sat in the bar in the Starboard viewing room. He was looking at his drink, wondering if Brianna was alright groundside. He kept picturing her in that black dress and each time he did he scowled.

"_She's a grown woman, damn it. She can take care of herself."_

But why the hell did she have to wear something that fucking revealing?

"_She's old enough to make her own decisions. She doesn't need your opinion."_

It still didn't make him feel any better.

"_Hey, you lost the right to bitch about how she dresses twenty-seven years ago."_

"Damn it," Zaeed muttered as he drained his glass. The doors opened behind him and he twisted around to watch Garrus walk in, rubbing the back of his neck. Their eyes met before the Turian strode over and sat down next to him.

Garrus Vakarian, code-name Archangel. He had served aboard the original Normandy with Brianna two years ago. At first, Zaeed thought the two were just really good friends, which didn't surprise him because they had a lot in common. They joked and teased each other; and the two often got into arguments over who was the best shot; which usually prompted a contest or two in the shuttle bay.

Zaeed had participated once, and he was good but when the pair competed against each other, they were on a whole different level.

But Massani saw the looks Garrus gave her when they were together. He knew that look quite well in fact; he had given Jessica those same looks back when he was infatuated with her. It didn't take a genius to see that he had feelings for his spunky blonde daughter.

And it didn't take a genius to see that Brianna felt the same way.

It didn't bother Zaeed; in fact he was glad she found someone she got along with. He'd rather Brianna be happy with Garrus, then miserable with some other asshole. He just wondered when the Turian would finally pluck up his courage and ask his girl out on a proper date like he wanted to.

Zaeed couldn't stop the chuckle leaving his mouth. It earned him a look from Garrus, who was busy pouring himself a drink,

"What are you laughing at?"

"So are you gonna ask Brianna out, or you just gonna keep arguing with her over Sniper Rifle Mods?"

Garrus choked on the alcohol in his mouth. He coughed wildly as Zaeed started to laugh before eyeing the old man with embarrassment,

"That obvious, huh?"

"Yeah kid, it is."

Vakarian rubbed the back of his neck again, staring down at his glass, "I didn't think you'd really approve…" he admitted, Massani shrugged his shoulders,

"Not my place to say, Brianna's twenty-seven years old. She's more than capable of making her own decisions."

The pair sat in silence for a moment until the starboard doors opened; they turned around to watch Kasumi stumble in. She gave a shuddering sigh, sitting on the couch hugging her knees,

"I'm sorry," she said with a heavy voice, "I know you two are enjoying your drinks, but can you guys leave please. I-I need some alone time."

"Sure thing, kid." Zaeed picked up his glass with Garrus just behind him, he left. As the doors closed he thought he heard Kasumi start to cry. He and Vakarian exchanged a glance, but Brianna walked out of the lift just then,

"Hey, what happened down there?"

Bri sighed heavily and ran a hand through her blond hair. She was dressed in her military leathers again, and she had taken off her makeup. She rubbed her eyes wearily,

"That's not really for me to say, we completed the mission but I guess it didn't end the way Kasumi had hoped. I was just going to check in on her."

Garrus shook his head, "I think you better wait; she says she needs some time to herself for now."

Bri nodded, "Get geared up you two; we're heading to Illium soon."

* * *

_**A/N: Fun times. So I don't really have much to say, but you know the drill. Read and Review, and please leave some CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM in the box below.**_

_**Pretty please? I'd like to have your guy's opinion, despite popular belief, it actually does count.**_

_**PathlessSpore**_


	11. Shed Some Light

Lady Luck  
Mass Effect Fanfiction  
Zaeed Massani/FemShepard  
Family/Adventure/Hurt/Comfort  
Chapter 10  
Shed Some Light

_So shed some light on me  
And hold me up in disbelief_  
_And shed some light on me  
And tell me something that I'll believe in_

_Shed Some Light - Shinedown_

* * *

Brianna sat at her desk, staring at her messages. She clenched her jaw as her eyes scanned the letters, rereading the same sentence over and over.

"_Commander Shepard,_

_Our scans in the Amada System have turned up something I think you might want to see: The final location the wreckage of the SSV Normandy."_

While the memorial to her destroyed ship was the "Official" reason why he sent the letter, Hackett knew how much the Normandy had meant to Brianna. By sending this to her, he was giving her a chance to finally have closure.

She just didn't know if she wanted it or not.

She heaved herself from the chair and took the lift to the CIC. She activated the galaxy map and she found the planet Alchera in the Omega Nebula. Her finger hovered over the input command; there was a small part of her that didn't want to see it.

It was one thing to be told that she had died.

But on Alchera she would see the evidence.

She didn't know if she wanted that. And it scared her, though she would never admit it.

Before she could second guess herself Brianna entered their destination. In the hour and a half it took to reach the Amada System Bri geared herself up,

"Commander," Joker's tone was quiet as she rode the lift down to the Shuttle Bay, "We've arrived." Silence followed before—"You sure you don't want someone down there with you?"

Shepard sighed through her nose, "I'll be fine Joker; I'm just setting up a monument."

She knew that he didn't believe her, but this was something she had to do herself. The shuttle ride down was quiet as she stared at the helmet in her hands. She didn't know what she was so afraid of. There was nothing down there but broken metal…

And the ghosts of her crew wandering amid the wreckage.

Bri closed her eyes and slipped on her helmet just as the transport swayed and touched the ground. The doors opened and she looked up at the grey sky and the ash like substance falling down around her.

"Sorry Commander," the voice of the shuttle driver crackled in her ear, "The Normandy is calling me back, I'll return as soon as I can."

"Take your time," she replied as she backed up a distance so it could lift off, "It'll be a while."

"Can do, Commander."

She watched as it disappeared back into the sky before turning and looking around. A flash of silver on the ground caught her eye. Carefully she bent down and picked up and old dog tag with the name Talitha Draven etched into it. Bri remembered her. She used to work up in the CIC; she remembered showing the young recruit a few card tricks because she wanted to learn.

It saddened Shepard to know that she had died.

She sighed through her nose and looked up; the hull Normandy lay before her in broken pieces, parts strewn across the ground like they had been carelessly tossed. She slowly approached and reached out a hand to touch the lettering.

SSV Normandy.

A gift to her from Admiral Anderson for becoming the first human Spectre.

"_I couldn't be more proud of you than I am now." _He had told her, his eyes shimmering with pride and that knowing smile across his face. When she had first joined the Alliance it was Anderson who had taken her under his wing, who had shown her genuine kindness, and who had taught her how to be a good soldier.

"_Always act with honor, girl." _He had often told her, _"In the end, people remember you for your actions, more than your words. So always act with honor."_

A lesson she had taken to heart. Carefully she brought out the holographic disk she had been given from Hackett. She set it on the ground in front of the hull's wreckage and powered it. The Image of a large gold monument flickered to life, words of comfort and honor clearly written where all could see. She stepped away, noticing another glint of steel.

Robert Felawa, she squinted at the tag before the image of an engineer popped into her head. That was his name, he had admired Brianna greatly and was honored that he had gotten to play a game of Skyllian Five with her.

Brianna felt guilty about winning that Sky Car off of him now.

Methodically her boots crunched against the ground as she followed the trail of debris to what was left of the crew deck. She gave a sad smile at the memory of Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams.

"_You need to get that stick out of your butt, Ashley."_

"_Huh, thought that'd be something you'd say to Garrus, Skipper. He's a Turian after all."_

"_I heard that…"_

Brianna had left her friend to die that day on Virmire, one of the most difficult decisions she had ever faced in her life. How could she save one and damn the other? It was unfair; she could have done something, anything instead of leaving her behind! Tears pricked her eyes and she had to swallow them back,

"_No use thinking like that, Skipper." _ She heard in her ear,

"I know," Brianna muttered under her breath, "I just wish…"

She swore she could have heard the Gunnery Chief chuckle, _"You had to make a difficult choice, Commander. For what it's worth, I wouldn't have had it any other way. It was an honor serving with you, M'am."_

Shepard chuckled somewhere between a laugh and a sob, "How many times have I told you not to call me M'am, it makes me feel old."

But Shepard turned around and continued walking. She found more dog tags as she made a long trek to the Sleeper Pods, which had been tossed quite a ways from the crew deck. As she looked over the remains she noticed an unused escape pod buried into the ground nearby. Brianna resisted the urge to look inside; she knew she'd only find long dead bones.

She kept walking, picking her way around rock formations and large debris. The Normandy's wreckage gad been spread out far and wide from the hull it seemed. She was about to call for the Shuttle to pick her up when she stopped dead in her tracks. The remains of the CIC and cockpit lay before her in a gorge made by the impact of the crash.

Carefully, she slid down the side and stumbled to a stop just before the ruined Galaxy Map. She laid a hand on the railing and smiled at the fond memories. On the ground, an orange glow caught her attention and to her surprise she found an intact data pad. The data itself however, was heavily corrupted.

It seemed to be a private journal of sorts and from Navigator Charles Presley no less. Many of the words were missing, but Brianna managed to get the gist of it. She smiled at his change in attitude towards the non-humans aboard the ship and how he would have gladly given his life for any of them.

The tears were back; her eyes watered and she felt her throat begin to close. She gave shuddering sigh and held onto the data pad as tight as she could,

"_Tears won't do you any good, Commander."_

"I'm sorry, Charles." She whispered, trying to fight back her emotions,

"_Nothing to be sorry about."_

"But you died, Presley. You had a wife and kids waiting for you, and you died!"

"_I gave my life for what I believed in, Commander. There's no better way to go than that."_

With a sad laugh she shook her head and carefully stepped into the cockpit. She remembered meeting Joker here for the first time, when the Normandy had first been commissioned. They had become fast friends, sharing jokes and drinks together,

"_Hey Commander, how many Krogan does it take to change a light bulb?"_

"_None, their planet already glows in the dark."_

Brianna chuckled and left the fond memories where they lie. As she was leaving something in her peripheral vision caught her eye. Shocked she strode over, and picked up her old N7 helmet,

"Well, I'll be damned." She muttered as she wiped off some of the dust. It took her some time to climb out of the gorge but when she did, she noticed she hadn't climbed out the same way she went in. She cursed under her breath and was about to start the long trek back to the landing zone until she spotted when last thing.

* * *

"She shouldn't have gone down there by herself," muttered Garrus as he slipped on his breather helmet. Zaeed did the same as the Shuttle swayed to a stop and touched the ground of Alchera. The doors opened and as soon as their boots hit the ground they started walking,

"Commander Shepard's locator indicates she's some ways north of our position." Said the shuttle driver in their ear; Garrus nodded and waved at the vehicle,

"Thanks; stay here until we tell you otherwise."

It didn't take them long to find her. Brianna was sitting at the ledge of a cliff, hunched over and gazing down at something. She heard them approaching but didn't turn around. It was quiet as Vakarian sat on one side of her, while Zaeed sat on the other. In her hands Brianna held an old, broken helmet with the symbol N7 engraved on it.

Below them was a surprisingly intact vehicle, A Mako if he wanted to venture a guess. He figured it must have been a part of the ship. The silence stretched on for a while until Garrus chuckled,

"Do you remember when we almost drove off that cliff on Noveria?"

Massani watched as she threw her head back and started to laugh, turning to him, "We were on Noveria following a lead on an Asari Matriarch named Benezia," she explained, "She was up on some mountain in a research facility but the only way up there had been blocked by a huge snowstorm. Of course, I didn't have the patience to wait it out, so with the help of Garrus here and another Asari by the name of Liara, and my friend Tali'zorah, we "Liberated" a Mako and drove out."

Tali'zorah, it sounded like a Quarian name. He had met a few of the enigmatic aliens, and almost always they were on one of their pilgrimages. They were very helpful given the right incentive, but Zaeed snapped back to reality and continued to listen,

"We're crawling along the road because there is no visibility what so ever, I can't even see five feet in front of us; so obviously we're surprised when I manage to run over a Geth trooper. The Matriarch had managed to sneak a few onto the planet; I'm in no mood to deal with them so I end up hitting the gas and running over a few more."

Zaeed smiled as she chuckled a bit more while Garrus rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment,

"We still can't see, and naturally the Mako's sensors don't tell us about the cliff edge until it's almost too late. Both my feet hit the brakes, sending Tali, sitting next to me in the passenger seat, flying into the dashboard. I'm trying not to laugh while the Quarian is screaming at the top of her lungs, and Liara is praying in the back. As it's about go over from the backseat I hear the most inventive string of curses ever to come out of Garrus's mouth as he throws open the side hatch and bails out of the vehicle."

Brianna started laughing again, she doubled over clutching her stomach as Vakarian sighed irritably and looked up at Zaeed,

"If you haven't noticed already, this is her favorite story."

"We survived," said Bri after she calmed down a bit, "But imagine this: we're sitting on a cliff edge in the middle of a huge blizzard. I have Tali sitting next to me in the fetal position crying, Liara is in the back stunned speechless, and this guy," she punched Garrus in the arm, "is face down in the snow with his arms spread out on either side of him. Obviously, I am laughing my ass off at this point."

"Don't ask her how she got her license;" added Garrus, "She still has yet to tell me."

All three of them looked down in the gorge, "I wonder if we can salvage that…" Bri muttered under her breath. Vakarian elicited a strained huff,

"Let's not find out, Brianna, just looking that thing gets me stressed."

Zaeed chuckled, "A lot of good memories, huh?"

"Yeah," Bri replied softly, holding the helmet between her hands again, "There are."

"You didn't have to come down here alone." He commented, Brianna shook her head and shrugged her shoulders,

"I was just setting up a memorial; there was no reason to make a big fuss about it."

She was a terrible liar, but Zaeed was kind enough not to call her out on it. These were her memories and her demons, and while she shouldn't have faced them alone he could understand why she did. She faced a lot of tough choices, and it weighed heavily on her conscious, and that didn't make it any easier to let someone in to share the pain. She wouldn't have wanted to burden them with her problems.

A part of him wished she would.

But instead, he and Garrus sat with her on the ledge until she was ready to go.

* * *

Brianna was the last to step into the shuttle, a hand on threshold so she could haul herself up. But something made her look back, and when she did she saw them.

Ashley, Charles, Talitha, Robert, and the rest of the crew whose dog tags she held clenched in her fist, they all stood in front of the Memorial gazing at her with admiration and pride. Then, one by one, they all saluted her with a smile.

"_Give em' hell for us, skipper."_ Brianna heard Ashley whisper as she turned away. As she sat in her seat and the hatch closed, she looked down at her N7 helmet and gave it a sad smile.

There was nothing she could do about the past, but the future was something she could change. She looked back out the window as they lifted off, and the ghosts of her crew faded away as they soared through the atmosphere.

Their sacrifices wouldn't be in vain, she'd make sure of that.

And for the first time in months, Brianna let her ghosts finally rest in peace.

* * *

_**A/N: Probably the best chapter to date on this story and the one I was most looking forward to posting. So your guys' reviews would be deeply appreciated. Constructive Criticism please.**_

_**Also to the guest reviewer who was kind enough to leave a review. I didn't actually get to read it, because I wasn't on the computer at the time, however, my sister was. She's a big fan of my writing, but doesn't fully understand the idea of constructive criticism and she went through my FF profile without my permission (which is MY bad in the first place, cause I didn't log out) and saw your review in my reviews pending box, because I moderate all my guest reviews.**_

_**Long story short: that is the last time she ever uses my laptop. So if you're reading this could you kindly re-review?**_

_**Much appreciated  
PathlessSpore**_


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